194 Kenmure Castle. 



A Friend of Burns. 



In 1824 the family titles were restored to John Gordon. He 

 was a great friend of Robert Burns. Burns visited the Castle on 

 27th July, 1793, and was hospitably entertained. He left next 

 morning for Gatehouse, and on the wild, bleak moorland road 

 was overtaken by a severe thunderstorm. Syme says that it was 

 in the midst of these wild and weird surroundings that he com- 

 posed the first rude draft of our national war song, " Scots wha 

 hae." This song he finished by the banks of the Nith. John 

 Gordon died in 1840, and was succeeded by his nephew Adam. 



Adam was the 8th Viscount. He entered the Navy, and rose 

 to the rank of lieutenant. He was in Sir Richard Calder's 

 action with the French Fleet at Cape Finisterre in 1805, and at 

 Trafalgar soon after. He was in the " Seahorse " at the capture 

 of a Turkish frigate in 1808. He took part in Sir Robert Corn- 

 wallis' pursuit of the French into Brest, was at Trafalgar, and 

 taken prisoner in October, 1809, off Jardinia, and carried first to 

 Geneva, and even to the prison of Cardona, and detained there 

 on parole until the peace of 1814. In 1815 he was made a full 

 lieutenant, and invalided home in August, 1818, on half-pay. 

 He died in 1847, and the title became extinct. 



So far as our antiquarian interest is concerned this ends the 

 history of Kenmure Castle and its owners. The Castle under- 

 went extensive repairs and improvements in the beginning of last 

 century, also in 1870, and a year or so ago. These improve- 

 ments were no doubt necessary to adapt the building to modern 

 requirements. Great care has been taken to keep the modern 

 additions uniform with tlie antique parts, but still from an archaeo- 

 logical point of view the Castle has not the same value or import- 

 ance. 



1 3tlt January f 1911. 



Chairman — Mr S. Arnott, V.P. 



The Dumfries Post Office, Part I., 1642-1848. By Mr John 

 M. Corrie, Dumfries. 



This paper, with Part II., will be found in N.S., Vol. XXIV. 



