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Alison Begbie
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Alison Begbie
Alison Begbie, Ellison Begbie or Elizabeth Gebbie (1762–1823), is said to have been the daughter of a farmer, born in the parish of Galston, and at the time of her courtship by Robert Burns she is thought to have been a servant or housekeeper employed at Carnell House, then known as Cairnhill, on the River Cessnock, situated about 2 miles from Loudoun Mill. It is thought that Burns's youngest sister Isobel Burns confused her name, which was really Elizabeth Gebbie.
Alison may have lived at Old Place, now Shawsmill Farm, the daughter of a tenant-farmer. Burns was living at Lochlea Farm at this time. Although not a beauty, she had many charming qualities, inspired by an education somewhat beyond anything that Burns had ever encountered before in a female.
Alison reportedly met Burns in 1781 near Lochlea Farm, either when he was passing Carnell with his cart for coals or collecting lime from the Carnell lime kilns located between Dykehead and Snodston.
Burns had hoped to set up a household of his own with her. Her rejection of him may have significantly contributed to the depressive illness that he suffered whilst living and working in Irvine.
Alison's surname was difficult to pair in rhyme, so Robert is said to have used artistic licence and named her in his work as 'Peggy Alison'.
Burns said of her, "All these charming qualities, heightened by an education much beyond anything I have ever met in any woman I ever dared to approach, have made an impression on my heart that I do not think the world can ever efface."
She was flattered enough, however, to commit Burns's 'Cessnock Banks' verses about her to memory and when an older lady, living in Glasgow, at 74 King Street, this lady was able to repeat, fairly accurately, most of them, 26 years after first hearing them, to Robert Hartley Cromek of Hull, the author of the 1811 publication "Reliques of Robert Burns." He does not give the first name of Mrs Brown, simply stating that the song was from "A lady residing in Glasgow, whom the bard in early life affectionately admired." Elizabeth Brown, née Gebbie, her husband Hugh are known to have moved to Glasgow. They had four children, Helen (b.Nov. 1784), Agnes (b.June 1787), Hugh (b.June 1789) and Elizabeth (b.April 1791).
Isobel Burns, later Mrs. Begg, provided the name Alison Begbie to the Burns biographer Dr Robert Chambers when she was 76 years of age, recollecting events and details from when she was ony 9 or 10 years old. Research by James Mackay suggests that 'Elison Begbie' was in fact a confused recollection of the name Elizabeth Gebbie, a surname which does appear in the Galston parish register. Thomas Gebbie was a tenant-farmer at Pearsland Farm near Galston and his brother was the miller at Loudoun Mill. Thomas had a daughter, Elizabeth on 22 July 1762. Elizabeth married Hugh Brown at Newmilns on 23 November 1781, and the couple had their first two children, Helen and Agnes, whilst in Ayrshire. Elizabeth had died by June 1823. This Elizabeth appears to have been the woman who rejected Robert Burns and left him with a deep emotional scar, reflected possibly in the use of the Christian name Elizabeth for three of his daughters.
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Alison Begbie
Alison Begbie, Ellison Begbie or Elizabeth Gebbie (1762–1823), is said to have been the daughter of a farmer, born in the parish of Galston, and at the time of her courtship by Robert Burns she is thought to have been a servant or housekeeper employed at Carnell House, then known as Cairnhill, on the River Cessnock, situated about 2 miles from Loudoun Mill. It is thought that Burns's youngest sister Isobel Burns confused her name, which was really Elizabeth Gebbie.
Alison may have lived at Old Place, now Shawsmill Farm, the daughter of a tenant-farmer. Burns was living at Lochlea Farm at this time. Although not a beauty, she had many charming qualities, inspired by an education somewhat beyond anything that Burns had ever encountered before in a female.
Alison reportedly met Burns in 1781 near Lochlea Farm, either when he was passing Carnell with his cart for coals or collecting lime from the Carnell lime kilns located between Dykehead and Snodston.
Burns had hoped to set up a household of his own with her. Her rejection of him may have significantly contributed to the depressive illness that he suffered whilst living and working in Irvine.
Alison's surname was difficult to pair in rhyme, so Robert is said to have used artistic licence and named her in his work as 'Peggy Alison'.
Burns said of her, "All these charming qualities, heightened by an education much beyond anything I have ever met in any woman I ever dared to approach, have made an impression on my heart that I do not think the world can ever efface."
She was flattered enough, however, to commit Burns's 'Cessnock Banks' verses about her to memory and when an older lady, living in Glasgow, at 74 King Street, this lady was able to repeat, fairly accurately, most of them, 26 years after first hearing them, to Robert Hartley Cromek of Hull, the author of the 1811 publication "Reliques of Robert Burns." He does not give the first name of Mrs Brown, simply stating that the song was from "A lady residing in Glasgow, whom the bard in early life affectionately admired." Elizabeth Brown, née Gebbie, her husband Hugh are known to have moved to Glasgow. They had four children, Helen (b.Nov. 1784), Agnes (b.June 1787), Hugh (b.June 1789) and Elizabeth (b.April 1791).
Isobel Burns, later Mrs. Begg, provided the name Alison Begbie to the Burns biographer Dr Robert Chambers when she was 76 years of age, recollecting events and details from when she was ony 9 or 10 years old. Research by James Mackay suggests that 'Elison Begbie' was in fact a confused recollection of the name Elizabeth Gebbie, a surname which does appear in the Galston parish register. Thomas Gebbie was a tenant-farmer at Pearsland Farm near Galston and his brother was the miller at Loudoun Mill. Thomas had a daughter, Elizabeth on 22 July 1762. Elizabeth married Hugh Brown at Newmilns on 23 November 1781, and the couple had their first two children, Helen and Agnes, whilst in Ayrshire. Elizabeth had died by June 1823. This Elizabeth appears to have been the woman who rejected Robert Burns and left him with a deep emotional scar, reflected possibly in the use of the Christian name Elizabeth for three of his daughters.
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