Mossgiel Farm

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East Mossgiel Farm
East Mossgiel Farm, Tarbolton.JPG
The farmhouse in 2011
East Ayrshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in East Ayrshire
Town/City Mauchline
State East Ayrshire
CountryScotland
Coordinates 55°31′35″N4°23′38″W / 55.5263°N 4.394°W / 55.5263; -4.394 (Mossgiel Farm)
ProducesDairy products
StatusOpen to the public

East Mossgiel Farm (Mossgaville Farm or Mossgavel Farm in Old Scots) is a tenanted farm in Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the home of Robert Burns between 1784 and 1788, and was where he composed many of his best-known works, [1] including "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough". [2] At the time, the farm consisted of 118 acres (48 ha), and Burns and his brother, Gilbert, rented the property from Gavin Hamilton upon the death of their father. [2] [3] [4]

While living there, Burns became acquainted with a group of girls collectively known as the Belles of Mauchline – one of whom, Jean Armour, was the daughter of a local stonemason. The two developed a relationship, and they were married in 1788. They had nine children, three of whom survived infancy. [5]

During Burns's time at the farmhouse, it was a single-storey But'n'Ben cottage containing three small rooms. It is a two-storey farmhouse today. [6]

References

  1. "Mossgiel Family Farm - Organic Farming for a Sustainable Future | Scottish Land & Estates". www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  2. 1 2 Matthews, Mimi (2017). The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th & 19th Centuries. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN   9781526705020.
  3. Burns, Robert (1852). The Life and Works of Robert Burns, Volume 1. Harper & Brothers. p. 85.
  4. Love, Dane (2012). The History of Mauchline Village and Parish. Cam Publishing. p. 75. ISBN   978-0-9567550-3-2.
  5. "Mauchline kirk session records, National Archives of Scotland". 'The Legacy of Robert Burns' feature on the National Archives of Scotland website. National Archives of Scotland. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  6. "Robert Burns Country: The Burns Encyclopedia: Mossgiel". www.robertburns.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.