Nelly Blair facts for kids

Nelly Blair, also known as Nelly Smith, lived from 1759 to 1820. Many people believe she was the very first love of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

Who Was Robert Burns' First Love?

Robert Burns never actually wrote down the name of his "Handsome Nell." For a while, people thought his first love might have been someone named Nelly Kilpatrick. However, there are some questions about whether this was true.

It was believed to be Nelly Blair for a long time. Burns's sister, Isabella, later said it was Nelly Kilpatrick. But Isabella was only three years old when Burns knew Nelly, so her memory might not have been perfect. Today, many still think Nelly Blair was the "Handsome Nell" who inspired Burns.

Nelly's Life and Personality

Robert Burns described Nelly as having a beautiful voice. He said she loved to sing while she worked in the fields.

In 1819, a minister named Reverend Hamilton Paul wrote about Nelly. He said she later married a farmer from Carrick and had many children. When he saw her in 1811, she was still a cheerful and strong woman. She sang wonderfully, and her singing even made her husband want to write poems!

Records from the Dreghorn area show that a Helen Blair married a farmer named John Smith on December 13, 1788. They had a daughter named Helen in Dailly in 1789, and more children later on.

In 1828, a letter in The Scotsman newspaper mentioned Nelly Blair. It said that Robert Burns often visited a friend's home in Ayrshire. Nelly Blair was a servant there, and Burns wrote many songs about her.

Robert Burns and Nelly Blair

A famous painting of Robert Burns from 1787, found in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

When Robert Burns was 15 years old, he met "Handsome Nell." She was his first young love, a "bonnie, sweet, sonsie lass" (meaning pretty, sweet, and cheerful). But he never actually told her how he felt!

Burns and Nelly first met when Burns's father, William Burns, hired extra help for the harvest at their farm. It was common in Ayrshire for workers to be paired up, and Burns ended up working with Nelly.

Burns later wrote about how he felt about Nelly. He said he loved to walk behind her on their way home from work. He wondered why her voice made his heart feel like a musical instrument. He also wondered why his heart beat so fast when he held her hand to help her pick out nettle stings and thistles.

He wrote a poem for Nelly, which was not published during his lifetime. It was put into his personal notebook and set to the tune of Nelly's favorite dance song.

Burns had heard Nelly singing a song by a local rich boy who was trying to win her over. Burns felt he could write a better song! So, with Nelly in his thoughts, he wrote his very first song, called "Handsome Nell."

Sadly, the tune to this song has been lost over time. Years later, Burns wrote about this first song. He said he never thought about becoming a poet until he fell deeply in love. Then, writing poems and songs just felt natural, like the language of his heart. He remembered writing it with strong feelings, and even years later, thinking about it made his heart melt.

See also

• Jean Armour
• Alison Begbie
• May Cameron
• Mary Campbell (Highland Mary)
• Jenny Clow
• Jean Gardner
• Jean Glover
• Nelly Kilpatrick
• Jessie Lewars
• Mary Morison
• Ann Park
• Elizabeth Paton
• Peggy Thompson