Agnes Maclehose

Life and character Agnes was born in Glasgow, the third of four daughters of a prominent surgeon, Andrew Craig. Her mother was Christian Maclaurin or McLaurin (d. 1767), daughter of John Maclaurin, a minister of the Scottish church. Her sisters were Margaret (b. 27 January 1752), Lilias (b. 25 July 1754), and Mary (b. 11 May 1764). Agnes was a sickly child, however, from the age of five, her health improved and she developed into an exceptionally good-looking woman, being indeed the toast of Glasgow's Hodge Podge Club at the age of 15. She had blonde hair. but read widely and polished her conversational skills, which put her beyond the ordinary. she formally left her husband because of his mental cruelty and depression, returning to her father in Glasgow's Saltmarket, whilst James ended up at first in a debtors' prison before emigrating to Jamaica in 1782, his wife having refused to accompany him after receiving a letter in which he wrote "For my part, I am willing to forget what is past, neither do I require an apology from you." James Maclehose took custody of their two sons, both under three at the time; he later took custody also of their youngest child, born a few months after the separation. They were later returned to her. One of her sons, Andrew, her only child to reach adulthood, became a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh and helped support her in her old age. her father died after a long illness that had dissipated his savings. Agnes went to Edinburgh where she took a small flat in Generals Entry off Potterrow, living on a small annuity of £8, supplemented from time to time by gifts from her cousin, Lord Craig. When Lord Craig died, he left her an annuity and made her son Andrew a residual legatee.

There is a plaque in her memory on a building on the corner of Potterrow and Marshall Street that reads, "Near this spot resided 'Clarinda' friend of Robert Burns 1787–1791", erected in 1937 by the Clarinda Burns Club.

In January 1791, Agnes attempted a reconciliation with her husband, sailing aboard the Roselle to Kingston, Jamaica. James was not on the quayside to meet her, and she found that her place had been taken by Ann Chalon Rivvere, his Black mistress, who had borne him a daughter, Arm Lavinia Maclehose. She returned to Scotland in April 1791 when the same ship returned home, having found the heat exhausting and the mosquito bites unbearable. Sir Walter Scott recorded having seen her at his friend Lord Craig's House, when she was "old, charmless and devout". Her friend Mrs Moodie reported that among Agnes's last words were, "I go to Jesus". The Clarinda-Sylvander letters in Mrs Moodie's possession were valued at twenty-five pounds.

Association with Robert Burns

When Robert Burns came to Edinburgh, still unmarried, for the second time in 1787, Agnes was in her 29th year and separated from her husband for seven years. A competent poet, she was determined to meet him and finally did so on 4 December at a tea-party given by Miss Erskine Nimmo, a friend of Margaret Chalmers, at the house of Mr Nimmo, a revenue officer. Agnes was attracted to him and upon her return home she wrote Burns a note inviting him to drink tea with her the following Thursday at her house on General's Entry on the west side of Potterrow. He accepted the invitation. However, the actions of a coachman, probably drunk, caused the poet to fall from a coach and injure his knee, and his doctor insisted that he refrain from walking. at Irvine: "Almighty Love still 'reigns and revels' in my bosom; and I am at this moment ready to hang myself for a young Edinr. Widow, who has wit and beauty more murderously fatal than the assassinating stiletto of the Sicilian banditti, or the poisoned arrow of the savage African." Burns wrote to Agnes from Mossgiel, saying:

Songs On 27 December, Burns sent a letter to Agnes from Dumfries containing "Ae Fond Kiss". The song celebrates Burns's passion for her, and first appeared in the Museum, 1792.

Jean Armour Jean Armour was well aware of her husband's fondness for Agnes and also knew that he corresponded regularly with her. In 1821 she accepted an invitation to stay with George Thomson in Edinburgh and one of the visitors with whom she had tea was Agnes Maclehose. They talked at length about each other's families and it was clear to her that Agnes had a great fondness for departed husband.

Jenny Clow Jenny Clow was a domestic servant to Agnes Maclehose. The twenty-year-old Jenny Clow gave birth in November 1788 to Robert Burns's child, Robert Burns Clow.

May Cameron In 1787, Robert Burns also had a brief consummated affair with May Cameron, a servant girl working in Edinburgh near to the house of William Creech, Burns's Edinburgh publisher. After a brief relationship with Burns she lost her job and had at first to rely upon the poet for funds. May married her cousin Mungo Forbes in September 1788.

Micro-history On 18 February 1788, Burns wrote to Agnes Maclehose having just met with his brother William Burns and Richard Brown, saying "I have just met with my old friend, the ship captain; guess my pleasure; to meet you could alone have given me more. --- My brother William too, the young Saddler, has come to Glasgow to meet me, and here we three spending the evening."

The John Miers silhouette of Agnes was made for Burns and was still in his possession at the time of his death.

Lord Craig, her cousin, took care of Agnes from age 23 and even after his death via his will, providing for her over a total of 60 years.

Her second cousin John McLaurin, Lord Dreghorn, treated her poorly. He was the son of the celebrated mathematician, Colin McLaurin.

Scottish performer and writer Anna Hillis wrote a play about the meeting between Jean (Armour) Burns and Agnes Maclehose. Called Tea with Clarinda, the play toured Scotland as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations.

Memorials A plaque to Clarinda was erected by the City Architect, Ebenezer James MacRae in the 1930s, on the west gable of the Council block on Marshall Street, facing onto Potterow, commemorating the existence of her then demolished house to the south-west.