page_title: Adam Armour
section_title: The Agnes Wilson incident
hierarchical_section_title: Adam Armour / Association with Robert Burns / The Agnes Wilson incident
caption_attribution_description: English: East Mossgiel Farm, Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
context_page_description: Adam Armour was the younger brother of Jean Armour and therefore the brother-in-law of the poet Robert Burns. In addition, being married to Fanny Burnes, he was also related to the poet through his father-in-law 'Poor Uncle Robert', who lived at Stewarton.
context_section_description: Agnes Wilson was a female servant or journeywoman who worked for George Simpson, the landlord of Poosie Nancie's. She had a reputation as a prostitute and Adam Armour at the age of 15 led a group of 'Auld Licht' adherents who decided to run her out of town. The gang obtained a rough pine tree pole, suspended it between horses and forced her to sit astride it. The experience caused her significant physical injury as Burns' poem describes. George (Geordie) Simpson and his wife Agnes (Poosie Nancie) greatly resented this cruel and lawless behaviour and proceeded to prosecute Adam and his group. The Kirk Session noted the disturbance on 6 March 1786. 
  Following this breach of the peace, and while evading arrest, Adam met Burns, and asked for his advice. Burns is said to have suggested that he would be best to find someone to pray for him, and Adam to have replied: "Just do't yoursel, Burns, I know no one so fit."  Adam asked if he could lie low at Mossgiel until the situation calmed down and Burns agreed. It was on this occasion that Burns discovered from Adam that his sister, Jean Armour, had been sent to stay with an uncle in Paisley.
  As a result of the affair Burns wrote 'The Prayer' or 'Adam Armours Prayer' that, although well known in Mauchline was not published until 1808 when it appeared in the Edinburgh Magazine. It was a prelude to Holy Willie's Prayer.
  "Adam Armour's Prayer" By Robert Burns
  This incident is related to the "Court of Equity" of which Burns was a member that in 1785 and 1786 met at the vinter John Dow's house in Mauchline where they debated the cases of scandal taking place in the village and -
  Burns has Adam state in his poem that Agnes Brown would have been hung had she been caught acting again as a prostitute.
caption: Adam Armour hid at Mossgiel Farm for a time after the Agnes Wilson affair.
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