John Richmond

Association with Robert Burns Burns is thought to have first met John Richmond in 1784 when he was working at Gavin Hamilton's lawyer's office as a clerk. Burns was the Perpetual President; James Smith the Pocurator Fiscal; William Hunter the Messenger at Arms and Richmond the Clerk of the Court. The court met to debate and discuss the scandals in the village and the punishments that each crime merited. Burns received a mock-summons to stand before the court, the Libel Summons.

Richmond, Smith and Burns are thought to have been in Poosie Nancie's Inn at Mauchline when the scenes of enthusiastic revelry amongst a group who were beggars by day inspired the poet to write his cantata Love and Liberty or The Jolly Beggars. Richmond was the source of the information that early drafts contained three extra characters, viz Racer Jess, a Sailor and a Sootyman.

Richmond was the source of the story that Address to a Haggis was first recited at the Haggis Club in 1785 at the home of David Shaw, a Kilmarnock Solicitor, who lived at Craigie. The final verse, since modified, belonged to a previous dinner at the home of John Morrison, a Mauchline cabinet-maker. The complete text was printed on 20 December 1786 in the Caledonian Mercury, the first time that a poem by Robert Burns had appeared in a newspaper. Richmond also pointed out that haggis was something of a novelty as a food item at the time.

When Burns first arrived in Edinburgh he suffered from a headache and stomach complaint to such an extent that he spent much of his time in bed and Richmond would read to him until he fell asleep. Richmond helped Burns transcribe his poems and songs in preparartion for publication.

Tradition states that Burns and Richmond argued and that Burns left the flat, however two friendly letters around this time suggest otherwise and Burns may simply have moved to better accommodation with William Nicol and at the time he was anyway planning his Highland tour and spending therefore some significant time away from Edinburgh. Richmond stated that for the year that they lodged together Burns kept habits of "strict sobriety".

In December 1817 Richmond was interviewed by Mr. Grierson and related that James Montgomerie and Mary Campbell met frequently in the 'Elbow', a small Mauchline ale house. On one occasion Richmond and some other friends of Burns took him to the 'Elbow' knowing that James and Mary were there together. They waited and eventually Mary exited from a private room, followed a little while later by James. Burns blushed and muttered damn it and suffered much good natured banter. It made no difference and a few days later he returned to her like the dog to its vomit. Unsurprisingly these details of Mary Campbell's behaviour was very unpopular once exposed.

A nephew of Richmond is on record as having said that his uncle was an inveterate liar.

Burns sent Richmond with a copy of his 'Kilmarnock Burns' with the instruction "you must bind it in the neatest manner and never lend it, but keep it for my sake". It is not clear whether he autographed it and considering that he didn't have enough copies even for his own family at Mossgiel it was a generous act of friendship.

Burns presented Richmond with a silver mounted snuffbox made with wood taken from the rafters of the Auld Alloway Kirk. The snuffbox bears the inscription; "Frae the oak that bare the riggin', O Alloway's auld haunted biggin', Frae the thorn aboon the well, Whaur Mungo's mither hanged hersel'."

This item was presented to the then Municipal Museum at the Edinburgh City Chambers.

Correspondence In February 1786 Burns wrote to his friend Richmond saying "My chief patron is Mr Aiken in Ayr who is pleased to express great approbation of my works". He added that "I have some very important news with respect to myself, not the most agreeable, news that I am sure you cannot guess, but I shall give you the particulars another time". He was referring to his intentions of an irregular marriage with Jean that, although enacted, came to nothing. See Gavin Hamilton for the full details.

On 9 July 1786 he shared with Richmond the news that "I have waited on Armour since her return home, not by -- from any the least view of reconciliation, but merely to ask for her health; and to you I will confess it, from a foolish, hankering fondness very ill-plac'd Indeed. The Mother forbade me the house; nor did Jean shew that penitence might have been expected. However, the Priest, I am inform'd will give me a Certificate as a single man, If I comply with the rules of the Church, which for that very reason I intend to do". My hour is now come. You and I will never meet in Britain more. --., have orders within three weeks at farthest to repair aboard the Nancy, Captain Smith from Clyde, to Jamaica, and to call at Antigua. This, except to our friend Smith, whom God long preserve, Is a secret about Mauchline. Would you believe it? Armour has got a warrant to throw me in jail till I find security or an enormous sum".

On 1 September 1786 Burns expressed his displeasure at the way that Richmond had treated Jenny saying "I saw Jenny Surgeoner of late, and she complains bitterly against you. You are acting very wrong, My friend; her happiness or misery is bound up in your affection or unkindness. Poor girl! She told me with tears in her eyes that had been at great pains since she went to Paisley, learning to write better; just on purpose to be able to correspond with you; and had promised herself great pleasure in your letters. Richmond, I know you to be a man of honour, but this conduct of yours to a poor girl who distractedly loves you, and whom you have ruined, forgive me, my friend, when I say it is highly inconsistent with manly INTEGRITY that I know your bosom glows with".

Jean Armour gave birth to twins on 3 September 1786 and Burns wrote to Richmond saying "Wish me luck, dear Richmond! Armour has just brought me a fine boy and girl at one throw. God bless the little dears!"

Burns, on the 27 September 1786 wrote that "I am going perhaps to try a second edition of my book. If I do, it will detain me a little longer in the country; if not, I shall be gone as soon as harvest is over".

7 July 1787 saw Burns writing that "I have lately been rambling over by Dumbarton and Inverary, and running a drunken race on the side of Loch Lomond with a Wild Highlandman; his horse, which had never known the ornaments of iron or leather, zigzagged across before my old spavin'd hunter, whose name is Jenny Geddes, and down came the Highlandman, horse and all, and down came Jenny and my Bardship; so I have got such a skinful of bruises and wounds, that I shall at least be four weeks before I dare venture on my journey to Edinburgh". I beg you will write me by post immediately on receipt of this, and let know the news of Armour's family, if the world begin to talk of Jean's appearance any way".

Richmond's daughter recollected that she used strips of Burns's letters as markers in her school books.