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

32 GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS OF
1789. He was father of two sons and a daughter. John,
the elder son, died young. "William, the younger son, died
in 1850, at an advanced age. Both were unmarried. Frances,
the only daughter, was remarkahle for her acuteness, and
was characterised by her relative, the poet, as the smartest
of his kin. She married Adam Armour, builder, Mauchline,
In-other of the poet's wife, and had two sons. Eobert Armour,
the elder son, carried on his father's business; he died in
1854. By his wife, Jean Wallace, he had several cliildren.
William, the younger son, inherited his mother's talents ;
and through his father's brother, Eobert Armour, became
opulent. He died at London about the year 1859.
William Burnes, third son of Eobert Burnes and Isabella
Keith, was born at Clochnahill on the 11th November 1721. 1
Along with his brother Eobert he assisted his father on the
farm. But the family were ruined by the terrible winter
and spring of 1740, when a general scarcity supervened.
The frost, which set in early, continued to the end of April,
no seed being sown till May. The ridges were then formed
high in the centre, as a protection against moisture ; and the
frost having penetrated far into the soil, and the season
being advanced, the sunny side of the ridge was ploughed
first, and the other side only when the thaw was complete.
Consequent on this procedure, and the continuance of rough
and unseasonable weather, the crop was stunted, and almost
useless. In Kincardineshire many tenant-farmers were re-
duced to absolute poverty. Several farms in the cold district
of Clochnahill were, some years subsequent to 1740, left
without cultivation.
Eobert Burnes, and his sons William and Eobert, aban-
1 Family Bible of William Burnes.