John McMurdo

Infobox person name = John McMurdo image = Drumlanrig Castle.jpg caption = Drumlanrig Castle birth_date = death_place = Bath, England As an old Nithsdale family the McMurdos were related to the Sharpes of Hoddam, the Charteris of Amisfield, the Fergussons of Craigdarroch, and John, although qualified as a lawyer, John McMurdo died at Bath in 1803.

McMurdo's daughter Arenta was named in honour of the major commandant of the Royal Dumfries Volunteers, Colonel Arent Schuyler De Peyster. Burns and McMurdo were members of the Volunteers.

Association with Robert Burns

Burns was introduced to McMurdo by Robert Riddell of Glenriddel

Burns wrote a poem in tribute to McMurdo and engraved the verses onto a window pane at McMurdo's accommodation in the castle:

On Mr McMurdo

Blest be McMurdo to his latest day! No envious cloud o'ercast his evening ray; No wrinkle furrow'd by the hand of care, Nor ever sorrow add one silver hair! O may no son the father's honour stain, Nor ever daughter give the mother pain.

Steven Clarke, musical editor of "The Scots Musical Museum" was persuaded by Burns to travel down from Edinburgh to teach Jean and Philadelphia Barbara McMurdo to sing and play the piano.

Philadelphia was a noted beauty, known to her friends as Phillis and an inspiration to Burns who wrote several songs in her honour, such as "Adown Wandering Nith", "Phillis the Fair" and "Philly and Willie."

McMurdo introduced Burns to Colonel De Peyster who was the major commandant of the Dumfries Volunteers of which Burns was a member. De Peyster purchased Mavis Grove near Dumfries where the poet was a frequent visitor. McMurdo had married De Peyster's wife's sister and towards the end of his life he purchased Mavis Grove and relatives still lived there in the 1860's.

Burns wrote several songs for the McMurdo family, He wrote "Bonie Jean" for one of McMurdo's daughters and wrote requesting permission to present it to his daughter, with the prescient comment "I assure you, I am not a little flattered with the idea, when I anticipate children pointing out in future Publications the tributes of respect I have bestowed upon their mothers". This song is often mistakenly ascribed to Jean Armour, Burns's 'Bonnie Jean'.

During Burns's efforts to clear the name of the teacher James Clarke of accusations of cruelty to his pupils, McMurdo's help was enlisted and eventually Clarke was shown to be innocent of the charges laid against him.

Correspondence

On 26 November 1788 Burns wrote that "I have Philosophy or Pride enough, to support with unwounded indifference against the neglect of my mere dull Superiors, the merely rank and file of Noblesse and Gentry, nay even to keep my vanity quite sober under the larding of their Compliments; but from those who are equally distinguished by their Rank and Character, those who bear the true elegant impressions of the Great Creator, on the richest materials, their little notices and attentions are to me among the first of earthly enjoyments."

On 9 January, 1789 Burns wrote saying that "A Poet & a beggar are in so many points of view alike, that one might take them for the same individual character under different designations, were it not though, with a very trifling Poetic licence most Poets may be styled beggars, yet the converse of the propositios does not hold, that evry Beggar is a Poet."

After an embarrassing incident Burns sent letters of apology to those involved, including to McMurdo saying "I believe last night that my old enemy, the Devil, taking the advantage of my being in drink (he well knows he has no chance with me in my sober hours) tempted me to be a little turbulent. You have too much humanity to heed the manic ravings of a poor wretch with the power of Hell, & the potency of port, beset at the same time. In the meantime, allow me to present you with the following Song which I have hammered out this morning." The enclosed song was "Wandering Willie" "Lang Here Awa, There Awa Wandering Willie." Burns was forgiven and their friendship continued.