Robert Burns’ Clarinda

In his short life, Robert Burns had many amorous encounters and one of these was with a beautiful lass known as Clarinda who was the heroine in many of Burns’ works.

Agnes Craig, daughter of the Glasgow physician, Andrew Craig, was in fact Burns’ Clarinda. At a party on the “Hodge Podge Club”, Agnes who preferred to be called Nancy, met James MacLehose a lawyer who immediately fell in love with her. He proposed marriage to her and they were married on June 25, 1776 at St. Andrew’s Kirk in Glasgow. Nancy had 3 children, one died in early infancy. Her relation with James began to deteriorate specially when things did not go the way he wanted and he usually beat her.

On Nancy’s diary, she wrote that their sentiments were no longer what they used to be, she wrote about her husband’s violent temper and about friends advising a separation. James left for Jamaica but took the children to his parents’ house and forbade Nancy to see them.

Nancy started going out and met new friends, one of these, Miss Erskine Nimmo introduced her to Robert Burns, this took place at a tea party at Miss Nimmo’s house on December 4, 1787. Nancy wrote and loved poetry and she was delighted with the idea of meeting the bard.

They began exchanging letters, 70 of which still exist. After a couple of letters, Nancy suggested Robert in order not to be recognized that she would change her name to “Clarinda”, Robert on the other side adopted the pseudonym “Sylvander”. In February 1791 Robert Burns sent Clarinda “Ae Fond Kiss” which was dedicated to her. In 1788 Nancy found out that her servant Jenny Clow was carrying a child by Robert Burns. She was furious. Jenny died a short time after the birth of her child.

In 1792 Nancy decided to inform Robert that she would leave Scotland for Jamaica to join her husband. Nancy found out that nothing had changed, James was still violent with her and with the servants, after almost 8 months in Jamaica, she went back to Scotland.

Robert Burns never met with his Clarinda again.

On the Royal Mile, Edinburgh there is a small Tea house called “Clarinda” in honour to Burns’ heroine.

Copyright Monica Loreto

Clarinda

Robert Burns Biography