Genealogical memoirs of the family of Robert Burns and of the Scottish house of Burnes

18 GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS OF
the 26th September 1753. Esteemed for his piety and
intelligence, lie was ordained an elder of the parish church.
He died on the 17th July 1761, at the age of forty-four.
He married, in 1745, Margaret Grub (died at Bervie about
1795), by whom he had three sons and three daughters. One
son and two daughters died young. Elizabeth, the only
surviving daughter, married, 8th January 1768, George
Hudson, 1 merchant, Bervie, and afterwards provost of that
burgh, by whom she had three sons and eight daughters. Of
these, two sons, George and William, and four daughters,
Elizabeth, Margaret (first), Margaret (second), and Sarah
Anne, died unmarried or without issue. John, the eldest
son, married Jean Forster ; Christian married A. Guthrie ;
Anne married J. Pirie, without issue; Elizabeth married
Dr Douglas, surgeon, Elie ; and Sarah married Dr Davidson,
physician, Edinburgh.
David, eldest son of James Burnes and Margaret Grub,
born 30th July 1749, married, December 1777, Jean M'Bean,
by whom he had a son, Thomas, baptized 30th July 1783;
also two daughters, Margaret, born 5th March 1780, and
Jean, born 30th August 1781. 2
James Burnes, second surviving son of James Burnes of
Montrose, was born on the 24th December 1750. After
some years holding office as schoolmaster at Montrose, he
studied law, and became a solicitor. 3 With the poet he
1 George Hudson was of English descent, his father and grandfather having
come to Montrose in 1745 with Lord Robert Manners' regiment. His father
married Elizabeth, daughter of William Carnegie, convener of the incorpor-
ated trades at Montrose — Dr Burnes' Notes, p. 35.
a Montrose Baptismal Register.
* On the death of his father, James Burnes some time resided with his
uncle William, and in deference to his wish adopted the double s in spelling
his name. He afterwards resumed the older form.