Letter from Gilbert Burns to Jean Burns, 9 June 1813

Robert Burns gave £200 to his brother Gilbert to release him from debts incurred at Mossgiel in Mauchline in 1789. He married in 1791 and moved to Dinning in Nithsdale in 1798 for 2 years. By 1800 had moved to East Lothian as a farm manager and in 1804 became Factor at an Estate near Haddington and lived at a house called Grant's Braes.

The first page of the letter has Gilbert encouraging his sister in law to make her visit to Haddington early in the summer as come August, when the High School in Edinburgh goes on holiday, the house will be full and there will be no room for her.

Gilbert then explains at length the directions needed to find her way to his house in Edinburgh starting at the head of the Canongate heading East passing St Mary's Wynd and Leith Wynd until she comes to New Street which is marked.

Gilbert continues on page two furnishing Mrs Robert Burns with the directions to his flat in the Canongate in Edinburgh which he explains in detail. He lives on the third landing of the first stair in the first close on the north side of the Canongate after New Street and has a brass name plate on the door.

He then describes where he would expect the coach to stop and the best way to get to the flat from there, anticipating that his sister in law will require a porter to carry her bags. Next he mentions that he has recently returned from a trip to Kilmarnock where his 13 year old daughter has been left for a recuperative sea bathing holiday at Troon.

Gilbert Burns's daughter Agnes was being taken to Troon for a sea-bathing remedy for her poor health. It did not appear to help much as she died some 2 years later. Gilbert goes on to say that he has stayed with his sister Bell (Isabella) who is distressed and suggests that Jean should visit her en route to or from Edinburgh.

Bell lives a mile from the coach stop at Kirkmuirhill (on the A74/A726 crossing) where the London mail horses are changed, and he mentions that there is a twice weekly coach from Edinburgh to Lanark. He goes on to mention a problem with William, his younger brother.