Letter from Charles Douglas to Patrick Douglas, 19 June 1786

Burns had decided to emigrate to Jamaica to escape the pressure he was under from the father of Jean Armour whom he had made pregnant. Although they had agreed to marry, her parents had deflected her from this course and were pursuing Burns for a financial settlement.

Charles Douglas writes in this first page about the progress being made by some of his workers and offers to help a friend's son with work if he comes over. He also comments on the over supply of doctors and the difficulty they have finding employment. He then agrees to send money to a Mr Bell as requested by his brother.

In the second page Douglas continues to explain what he wants done regarding Mr Bell and then requests his brother send him a gold seal with the family crest on it. At the end of the page he writes "The young fellow I want is one who can write & read so as to be able to answer a letter I might write to him while abroad." He suggests a wage of "10 or 12 pound a year or less".

The third page carries a salutation signed Cha's Douglass and on the reverse is the address to Patrick Douglass Esq. at Garrallan, County of Air, North Britain, with a postmark of Jamaica.

This is one of two preserved letters relating to the provision of a man to fill the post of assistant overseer on the sugar plantation of Charles Douglas in Jamaica who writes to his brother Dr Patrick Douglas in Cummnock to arrange the recruitment. It is a post which Burns agreed to fill and met with Douglas in Ayr in August to arrange details.