I was in Ayrshire a while ago, strolling the picturesque streets of Mauchline, and found the parish church, famous for one of its trickier parishioners, Robert Burns. The great Scottish poet lived there and his memorials are everywhere. I noticed his date of birth, January 25th 1759, and thought ‘oh, he was born on Burns Night, how appropriate’ before the penny dropped. Derr.
He farmed near Mauchline when he was a young man, and got a local girl, Jean Armour, into trouble, for which he was obliged to do penance in front of the congregation. This involved sitting on the creepie stool in front of the pulpit for three services, there to suffer the reproving gaze of his neighbours.
We used to do something like it here a hundred and fifty years ago (I’m not suggesting we revive this custom, by the way). Burns went on to make an honest woman of her, and I was showed their signatures in the Clerk’s Record Book from 1788.
They had nine children, four of them buried as infants in the same churchyard, and she outlived him by forty years. Burns was a man of extraordinary appetites, a difficult dog to keep on the porch, as Hillary Clinton remarked of her husband Bill. But what we remember of him is not his messy life, nor I hope that humiliation in the kirk, but his poetry, which is as fresh and distinctive today as it was back then. He’s so celebrated that Burns Night is observed with great ceremony around the world from Vancouver to Vladivostok.
Love it, but then I love Scotland, adore haggis, and have been known occasionally to enjoy a wee dram and a chorus of Auld Lang Syne.
Most of all I love finding something to celebrate when the world is cold and dark, and the promise of spring seems lost to the deep mid winter.
Don’t forget, it’s coming, it’s coming, and it will bloom again, like a red, red rose.
Slainte,
Fr Richard.
Dear Father Richard,
Last Thursday my car was ‘in for the day’ for a service in Irthlingborough (had ‘courtesy car’). I had a friend with me and I suggested popping up to Finedon for a ‘look around’ – I haven’t been there for ages (not since I lived in Rushden). Anyway, we got to the church, not expecting it to be open (which, of course, it wasn’t) and took a walk around the churchyard. Then found a little door open by the porch….and a narrow spiral stair. A board behind the door said ‘Library – adults £1’ etc. We went up to find your archivist and some folk doing ‘research’ – and were welcomed and shown some of the fascinating collection. And it turned out that the archivist ‘stands next to Lucia, a mutual friend, in the choir. Lucia is on the Barbara Pym Society committee, with me. I’ll be seeing her next week in Oxford! (You’ll know all about BP, I’m sure) What a great and unexpected ‘experience’ and delight on a dull January Thursday. I hope to be back sometime (from nr. Kimbolton).
By the way, another coincidence… have just read ‘Bringing in the Sheaves’ – really liked it and it’s chronological structure (commencing close to my ‘name day’ – though St. Peter always seems to take precedence over Paul!)
Regards Paul H
Hi I have emailed your message to Farther Richard.
For future refrence the best and quickest wat to contact Fr Richard is via his email address revdrichardcoles@yahoo.co.uk