garrieve

Sir James Stirling of Garrieve

Sir James Stirling, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, bought the lands of Garrieve from Captain Maxwell, a leading heritor in the parish of New Cumnock, in 1790. He was married to Alison Mansfield, and his new property and lands would soon carry the name of his wife's family. Sir James was also a trustee of Moffat Grammar school, where James Clarke, an acquaintance of Burns, was a teacher. In 1791, Clarke was accused of harshly treating school children. Burns believed the accusations to be unjust and wrote to the trustees in defence of his friend.
[C.J. Rollie].

Sir James Stuart Menteath of Mansfield

Gilbert Burns, brother of Robert, moved from Mossgiel in Mauchline to Dinning in Closeburn, Dumfriesshire, lands belonging to Sir Charles Granville Stuart Menteth , 1st Baronet of Closeburn. Gilbert took his elderly widowed mother Agnes Brown with him. Among her possessions was the chair she had used whilst nursing all of her children. Living at Dinning, Agnes befriended Christy Flint, wife of the parish blacksmith. When Gilbert and Agnes moved again, this time to East Lothian, Agnes gifted the chair to Christy, who later presented it to Sir James Stuart Menteth.

Early in the 19th century Sir Charles purchased the Mansfield estate in New Cumnock, and moved his family there, where he would become a major developer of the New Cumnock coalfields. He died in December, 1847. Sir James Stuart Menteth eventually moved to Mansfield House and took with him the chair in which Agnes Burns nursed her baby son Robert Burns. The chair has now returned 'home' and can be found in the museum at Burn Cottage, Alloway.

ROBERT BURNS