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

58 GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS OK
only did her daughters profit by her example ; they contracted
a taste for music. Jean Armour sung sweetly, and this ac-
complishment, in addition to her personal charms, won the
poet's love. He celebrated her in song, and early in 1786
privately owned her as Ms wife. But her father opposed
the union, and the poet experienced an irregular divorce.
James Armour afterwards relented, and in 1788 allowed his
daughter to join her husband.
Mrs Burns died at Dumfries on the 26th March 1834 in
the same house in which the poet expired thirty-eight years
previously. Through the profits of her husband's works,
certain private benefactions, and latterly by the generosity of
her sons, she was comfortably maintained.
By his wife, Jean Armour, the poet was father of five sons
and four daughters. Jean, the eldest daughter, a twin with
her brother Eobert, was born on the 3d September 1786; she
died at the age of fourteen months. Twin daughters, born on
the 3d March 1788, died soon after birth. Elizabeth Eiddel,
the youngest daughter, so named in honour of Mrs Eiddel of
Glenriddel, was born on the 21st November 1792; she died
at Mauchline in the autumn of 1795, and was there buried.
The poet, whose health was already broken, was too ill to
attend her funeral.
Of the poet's five sons, Francis Wallace, the second son,
so named in honour of Mrs Dunlop of Dunlop, was born on
the 18th August 1789; he died 9th July 1803, at the age of
fourteen. Maxwell, the fifth and youngest son, named aftei'
Dr Maxwell, the physician who attended the poet in his last
illness, was born 26th July 1796 (the day of Ins father's
funeral); he died 24th April 1799, aged two years and nine
months.