Helen Hyslop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Hyslop
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Ellen Hyslop's Gravestone and inscription
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| Born | March 1766 Langholm, Scotland
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| Died | 8 March 1852, aged 87 Moffat, Scotland
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| Occupation | Housewife |
Helen Hyslop, also known as Nelly or Ellen Hyslop, was a woman from Moffat known for her beauty. A strong local tradition says that the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns admired her greatly for some time. It is believed that her daughter, also named Helen, was born from this connection. Records show that a Helen Hyslop, who might be the mother of Burns's possible daughter, was born in the Langholm area in 1766. Her parents were John Hyslop and Janet Howatson.
Contents
Helen Hyslop's Connections
Around 1885, a newspaper in Moffat shared a story from a Mrs. Richardson, who was born in 1864. She remembered running errands as a child for Helen Armstrong, who was Helen Hyslop's daughter. Mrs. Richardson knew Helen Armstrong as a daughter of Robert Burns. This shows that the connection between Helen Armstrong and Robert Burns was a well-known local story.
Life of Helen and Her Daughter
Not much is known about Helen Hyslop herself, other than her good looks. Her daughter, also named Ellen or Helen, lived a very long life. After she stopped working, she lived until she was ninety-eight years old in the same small street in Moffat where she was born.
Ellen Armstrong's Appearance
An 1887 report in the Pall Mall Gazette said that Helen Armstrong, the daughter, looked a lot like Robert Burns when she was young. She even kept a strong resemblance to him as she grew older. People noted that she had similar face shapes and the poet's dark, bright eyes.
Ellen Armstrong's Career
Helen Armstrong started working as a servant when she was about seven years old. Later, she married a man named Mr. Armstrong, who passed away many years before her. Helen Armstrong worked for 30 years as a cook at the Buccleuch Arms hotel in Thornhill. She only left her job when the last member of the Glendinning family, who owned the hotel, died.
People also said that Helen Armstrong's sharp mind showed her possible connection to Burns. Her "conversational powers and her quickness of repartee were most amusing and attractive." She was well-liked, and in her old age, friends took good care of her. She had no children of her own.
The Gravestone in Moffat
The gravestone in Moffat's old church cemetery has an inscription. It says: "In Memory of Ellen Hyslop who died at Moffat 8th March 1852 aged 87 years." A later inscription for her daughter, carved by a different stone worker, reads: "Also Ellen Armstrong her daughter, who died 13th April 1886, aged 98 years."
The gravestone does not mention a father for Ellen Armstrong or her husband, only his last name. The last name used for the mother is her parents' name. In those deeply religious times, it was very unusual to put the details of an unmarried mother and her daughter in such a noticeable place. It was also unusual for them to have a burial plot and a stone.
Helen Hyslop, the mother, could have been born in 1766. Her daughter would have been born around 1788 or 1789. It is confirmed that the daughter died in Moffat after returning from Thornhill. Robert Burns is known to have visited the area to meet friends like Allan Masterton and William Nicol. He wrote the song Willie Brew'd A Peck O' Maut in 1789 to remember their meeting.
Small Historical Facts
Helen Armstrong once saw Sir Walter Scott when he came into the kitchen at the Buccleuch Arms. Sir Walter spoke to the head cook. He was on his way to visit the Duke of Buccleuch at nearby Drumlanrig Castle.
Reports from the time mentioned Helen Armstrong's death at the age of 97 or 98.
Robert Burns Connection
The Helen Hyslop from Langholm is not listed in the church records as having had a child. However, her gravestone clearly shows that a daughter, also named Ellen or Helen, did exist. Since many children born outside of marriage were not recorded in church registers back then, the connection with Robert Burns remains possible, even if it's "not proven."
Burns was known to visit Moffat to use the healing waters of the Moffat Well and the Hartfell Spa. The story of his relationship with Helen Hyslop was well known in the town and the surrounding area.
He was a familiar face in local inns, like the Black Bull in Moffat town centre. There, he left his mark by writing on one of the windows using his special diamond pen. A copy of this window is now on display, along with other items related to Burns, in what is called the 'Burns Room' at the hotel.
Some people have confused Helen Hyslop's story with that of Ann Park. Ann's name sometimes appeared with variations like Ann Hyslop or Helen Hyslop.
See also
- Jean Armour
- Lesley Baillie
- Alison Begbie
- Nelly Blair
- Robert Burnes (1719-1789)
- Mary Campbell (Highland Mary)
- Jenny Clow
- Jean Glover
- Nelly Kilpatrick
- Jessie Lewars
- Elizabeth Paton
- Isabella Steven
- Peggy Thompson
Images for kids
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The gravestone of Ellen Hyslop and her daughter Ellen Armstrong at Moffat.
