Agnes Burns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Agnes Burns
Stephenstown Pond
Born	30 September 1762 Alloway, Scotland
Died	March 1834 Dundalk, Republic of Ireland
Occupation	Dairymaid
Spouse(s)	William Galt
Parent(s)	William Burnes Agnes Broun

Agnes Burns or Agnes Galt was the oldest sister of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. She was born in 1762 at the Alloway Cottage in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Her parents were William Burnes and Agnes Broun. Agnes did not use the 'Burnes' spelling for her last name. When she was 42 years old, which was quite late for women to marry back then, she married William Galt in 1804. William had worked for her brother Gilbert on his farm in Nithsdale.

Agnes's Life Story

Stephenstown House in 1982.

Agnes had several brothers and sisters. They were Robert Burns (born 1759), Gilbert (born 1760), Annabella Burns (born 1764), William (born 1767), John (born 1769), and Isabella (born 1771).

Agnes's mother, Agnes Broun, once shared a story about her husband. She said he only ever used a strap on one of their children, and that was Agnes. This happened when Agnes didn't want to pay attention during her reading lessons. Her mother said it helped Agnes learn to focus better.

In 1817, Agnes and William moved to the Fortescue Estates in Stephenstown, Dundalk, Ireland. William was hired to build two large ponds there. These ponds would supply water for the estate's gardens, fruit trees, and grinding mill. The owner, Matthew Fortescue, was very impressed with William's work. He offered William a great job as the manager of the Stephenstown Estate. William earned a good salary and also received a house to live in, plus some land for growing crops and keeping animals like cows. William also put many fish into the new ponds.

Stephenstown House was built in 1785. It was sold in 1974 and became a ruin by the late 1980s.

Between 1821 and 1822, William planted 53,000 trees on the estate, along with many bushes and flowers. He also made sure to buy the best farm tools. Because of his hard work, by 1847, part of the Fortescue estate was known as one of the best farms in the British Isles.

Someone named Major McClintock once wrote that Agnes had a very strong accent from Ayrshire, Scotland. He said she wasn't the most beautiful woman, but it was amazing to hear her read her brother's poems. He mentioned her "hard rasping delivery," saying it was so strong that many people outside of Ayrshire might not understand what she was saying!

Agnes and William never had any children. Agnes worked on the estate as a dairymaid for many years. She passed away in her cottage in 1834 when she was 72 years old. William continued to live at Lakeview Cottage on the estate for another thirteen years, dying in 1847.

Remembering Agnes and Robert Burns

A famous painting of Robert Burns from 1787.

Agnes and William were buried in the St Nicholas Church of Ireland cemetery in Dundalk. A special monument was put up there by people who admired Robert Burns.

The words on the monument celebrate the 100th birthday of Robert Burns. It says:

This monument is a tribute to the amazing talent of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet. It also honors the memory of his oldest sister Agnes, whose body rests in this church-yard. It was built with money from the many fans of the poet in Dundalk and nearby areas on January 25, 1839.

"Time but the impression stronger makes, as streams their channels deeper wear." (From "To Mary in Heaven", 1789)

Agnes learned about religion partly at home from her father. He used a book called A Manual of Religious Belief, which he had written himself for teaching his children. A teacher named John Murdoch also helped with her lessons, and the book was used for all her brothers and sisters too.

Stephenstown Pond Today

William and Agnes's old cottage in Knockbridge is now a museum and a coffee shop! It's part of a nature park and conference center. The museum inside the cottage tells the story of Robert Burns and his writings. It also shares details about Agnes's life as a dairymaid on the estate, the history of the estate itself, and the Fortescue family. The Belfast Burns Club and the Stephenstown Pond Trust worked together to restore the cottage starting in 1996. They wrote:

We, the Belfast Burns Club, recognised that some form of Peace and Reconciliation Initiative in this island of ours might not go astray, and what better format for it to take but an association with Robert Burns and his work?

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