The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-28

Tie youngest sister OF Robert Burns the poet and the
sole surviving child o the family circle Of which he was
tho elder brother dcd Saturday morning M nor cot
tage, Ayr. We extract the following particulars II
her lfc from well written obituary notice in the Ayr
Isabella Burns, or as she was more famiarly known,
Mrs. Bcgg born at Mount Olphant, Ayr, tho
2pth Of June lTTi and had shc lived I'LL her next birth
day would have completed her eighty eighth year She
the seventh child and third daughter Of William
We may mention In The order Of their age-Robert Gil.
bert, Agnes, Annabclia, William, John and Isabella.
About the year lT7i 1895 she married Al Megcl,
Mauchlnc, 10 John Bcgg who accidentally killed al
esuahagow IN 1913 and whom she thus survived for the
long period o forty years. At her husbands death
Mrs. Bceg was lcft With family of nine children, the
eldest ot them being only eighteen. Except an allow
of E90 per fo three years from Mr. Ncrc she
bad other of support, but, with the ndcta,iga
bile sprt Of Barns she st herself 70 oc ont her scansy
income hy teaching school Al Krkmonrll, small vii
lare near Lcsmahagow, where che continued for three
years Her eldest son, who had received superior edu
cation and had been Intended fur the medical profession,
unable follow out hs original views, owag 70 the
slender hts mother hal her disposal and
obliged 70 content himself With the situation Of parish
sohoomastCr younger son also occupied similar post
For years Mrs Begg maintained herself BY teaching
and such sewing she and her daughters could obtain IN
the ncighhorhOJd uf TancnL In those days the name
aud fame q Burns made comparatively little noise Few
Of his admirers knew their relationship 70 the bard
N all. and those who did know II had probably TO
make the discovery Cor themscvos a least the fact
never obtruded upon public notice. one gentleman IN
Bdinburg who had dealt with the family for twenty
years never knew Of the relationship TIL they came
TO live in this neehborhood although be waa an cnthu
sast about all relating TO the Scottish poet AT last how
interest made with the government, and pen
sion of fi0 obtained for Mrs Degg through the late
Mr. Ferguson, Of Rath. NJ r. Afterwards, 10 1912, by
tie kind cxortons Of Mr. Robert Chambers E4Oo
raised by public subscription part of which sunk
IN an annuity for Mrs BsRg, aud which dies with her
GlG0 being reserved tG tie two daughters The pro.
ceeds Of Chambers Io of the Poet which amounted
10 f20o, also fell 10 the daughters and the late SIT Robert
Peel when IN power, granted than pension of GlO each
that, In coming to reside ia the neghborhood of Ayr
The united Of mother and daughters made up about
f13 Of annuity Mrs negc Is described as bearing
considerable resemblance ~ her gifted brother
She retained her faculties 10 the last 50 much
SO, that on the Tuesday before her death, hav.
ing bad some seed sent her by Mr. Currie sculp
tor, in letter from Melrose gathered from tie Broom
Of the Cowden Knowes,N she remarked 10 one Of
her daughters that she used 10 sing that song her
father more than seventy ago and being asked
BY her daughter TO repeat Il then, she gave with all