Jean Glover facts for kids

Jean Glover (1758–1801) was a talented Scottish poet and singer. She was born in Townhead, Kilmarnock, Scotland. Her parents were James Glover, a handloom weaver, and Jean Thomson. Jean was very well-educated for her time and was known for being clever and witty. She had a beautiful singing voice and was also considered very good-looking.

The famous Scottish poet Robert Burns admired her voice. He even wrote down her song "O'er the moor amang the heather" and sent it to be printed in the Scots Musical Museum in 1792. It is believed that Burns heard Jean sing in the Old Commercial Hotel in Kilmarnock. He found a tune for the song, and it became quite popular.

Jean Glover's Life and Adventures

A view of the old Irvine Highstreet.

When Jean was young, she left home to join a traveling entertainment group. She performed with a conjurer (a magician) named Richard. Jean loved being on stage and performing. She often sang in public houses, which were like inns, and other small entertainment spots across the country.

For example, in 1795, she performed at the Black Bottle Inn in Muirkirk. She also sang in places like Irvine and her hometown, Kilmarnock. In Kilmarnock, she was especially famous for singing a song called 'Green grow the rushes'.

Some people at the time had different opinions about Jean's lifestyle. However, others admired her spirit. One person remembered seeing Jean dressed in bright clothes, playing a tambourine outside a place where her husband, the magician, was performing. This person thought Jean was "the bravest woman" they had ever seen. Jean was last seen performing in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland, just a few months before she passed away in 1801.

Jean Glover and Robert Burns

A famous portrait of Robert Burns from 1787.

Robert Burns collected Jean Glover's song "O'er the moor amang the heather" for his collection. He wrote that he took the song down from her singing. He described her as "strolling the country with a slight of hand blackguard," which meant she was traveling with a magician. It's not completely clear if Jean wrote the song herself, but she certainly made it famous through her singing.

Some people have suggested that the song might be based on an old Scottish ballad called "The Laird o' Drum." However, there isn't much proof of this. The song was definitely very popular in Ulster, a region in Ireland, for a long time.

See also

• Jean Armour
• Lesley Baillie
• Alison Begbie
• Nelly Blair
• May Cameron
• Mary Campbell (Highland Mary)
• Jenny Clow
• Jean Gardner
• Helen Hyslop
• Nelly Kilpatrick
• Jessie Lewars
• Elizabeth Paton
• Isabella Steven
• Peggy Thompson
• List of 18th-century British working-class writers