Isabella Steven or Tibbie Stein was the daughter of a tenant farmer from Littlehill or Little Hill Farm (NS467305) that adjoined the Burns's farm at Lochlea.Boyle, Page 86 'Stein' is an alternative form of the surname 'Steven'. Littlehill had three acres of land that are said to have been little better than peat moss. She is also said to have lived in Tarbolton.''

Life and character

Isabella or Tibbie was regarded as having been very good looking and at the age of seventeen Robert Burns was greatly attracted to her. The poet ''"deemed himself doing well in his courtship"'' until 'Tibbie' came into a legacy and dowry of £75 at which point she decided herself above a mere farmer's son. She married a more prosperous suitor soon after. Aged nine or ten at the time of these events, Isobel Burns, sister of the poet, is the only source of Isabella Stevens identification as being the 'Tibbie' of the song.MacKay, Page 80 A Tarbolton tradition holds that 'Tibbie' lived in the village on the west side of Burns Street on the corner of Garden Street. Her father is said to have been a wealthy farmer.

Association with Robert Burns

The poet is said to have visited her home one evening only to be politely informed that 'Tibbie' was not available as she was engaged with another admirer. Burns turned on his heels and never visited her again.Mackay, Page 80 Tibbie married her beau to become Mrs Isabella Allan and Robert turned his attention to Elizabeth Paton.Purdie, Page 300 The poet wrote the caustic song ''"O Tibbie, I Hae Seen The Day"'' with the chorus: The love song, one of Burn's first in this category, is set to the tune "Invercauld's Reel", appears (no. 196) in Johnson's ''The Scots Musical Museum'' in 1788: Tibbie however was proud enough to acknowledge that the song was about her and that she once held some affection for the poet. On an occasion when her grandson recited the song she told him that she was the heroine of the piece. The poet scorns the heiress: A thousand marks or

merks The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...

at the time would amount to around £56, close enough with poetic licence to £75. It is thought that the ''"lass beside yon park"'' refers to Elizabeth Paton although Burns never confirmed this.

Micro-history

The National Trust for Scotland holds Isabella Steven's wedding spoon and spectacles at the Burns Birthplace Museum in

Alloway Alloway ( gd, Allmhaigh, ) is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the cons ...

.Spectacles
Retrieved : 2012-10-10

References

;Notes ;Sources # Boyle, A.M. (1996). ''The Ayrshire Book of Burns-Lore.'' Darvel : Alloway Publishing. . # Hill, John C. Rev. (1961). ''The Love Songs and Heroines of Robert Burns.'' London : J. M. Dent. # Mackay, James (2004). ''A Biography of Robert Burns. Edinburgh : Mainstream Publishing''. . # Purdie, David; McCue Kirsteen and Carruthers, Gerrard. (2013). ''Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia''. London : Robert Hale. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Steven, Isabella Robert Burns 18th-century Scottish women History of South Ayrshire Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Life and character

Association with Robert Burns

Micro-history

See also

References