Jean Glover

Jean Glover or Jennifer Glover (1758–1801) was a Scottish poet and singer. She was the daughter of James Glover, handloom weaver and Jean Thomson, born in Townhead, Kilmarnock; was well educated for the time she lived in, clever and sharp-witted. She had a fine singing voice and exceedingly good looks of "both face and figure". Dougall records that Burns heard Jean in the Old Commercial Hotel in Croft Street, Kilmarnock. He matched it with a tune which first appeared in Bremner's Reels of 1760, and the song was also published in several later 18th Century collections. and it has been suggested that he had one of his many affairs with her.

Life and character

Jean eloped at an early age with Richard, either a surname or a first name, a 'sleight of hand performer' and leader of the group,

A contact of the author James Paterson told him that she had seen Jean Glover "gally attired and playing on a tambourine at the mouth of a close, in which was the exhibition room of her husband the conjurer", and thought her "the bravest woman I had ever seen step in leather shoon." A few months prior to her death a final 'sighting' is known of her performing at Letterkenny in County Donegal, Ireland, in apparent good health. However, she died only a few months later.

Micro-history Jean's brother James worked at the Muirkirk iron-works.