(1765-1834)
Affectionately known as the, ‘Belle of Mauchline’, or simply, ‘Bonnie Jean’, she was the wife of the poet Robert Burns and believed to be the inspiration of many of his poems (although ultimately not his only female inspiration). She was said to have a beautiful voice which helped shape Burns’s verses and to be a ‘lightfooted’ dancer. Meeting Burns in her hometown of Mauchline in 1784, Burns was already an expectant father when Jean became pregnant with their first child. Born out of wedlock, Jean’s enraged father did not agree to a marriage, and it was only after her second set of twins to Burns in 1788 that they wedded. Jean went on to birth 9 of his children, three of which survived into adulthood. Jean also raised Betty, a daughter of Burns from a mistress. Betty stayed with Jean even after his death until Betty married 1808. Burns died in 1796 and was buried on the day that Jean gave birth to their final child. Widowed at thirty-one years old and with 5 existing children of her own, and now looking after two of Burn’s ‘other’ children, Jean was not left with much to live on. Through public donation, the family survived, and Jean herself outlived Burns by 38 years. She continued to live in the house in which he died and although young enough to re-marry and rejecting several marriage offers, she remained single for the rest of her life. Over the years, the house was visited by thousands of strangers wanting to see where the poet had lived and she never refused access, somehow believing that her house and memories were in some way public property. It is believed that in order to satisfy visitors, she had the bed he died in broken up into pieces as souvenirs for the poet’s admirers.
The statue in Dumfries stands opposite St Michael’s Church, where the Burns’ Mausoleum is situated and was raised by public donations, including a certain Mr Thomas Tunnock. Yep, the famous biscuit manufacturer and Tunnock’s Tea Cakes/Caramel Wafer celebrity himself. The Mauchline statue is of an even younger Jean and stands on Kilmarnock Road near the Burns House Museum.
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