Margaret Chalmers

Margaret Chalmers (1763–1843) or Mrs Lewis Hay was a lifelong friend of Robert Burns and had once turned down his offer of marriage. She married Lewis Hay and upon his death in 1800 she emigrated to Pau where she died in 1843. She corresponded with the poet between 1787 and 1792 although most of these letters were destroyed. One of his last completed works,“Fairest Maid on Devon Banks”, may have been written with her in mind, however her cousin Charlotte Hamilton is the stronger contender. Life and character Margaret or Peggy was born the youngest daughter on the Fingland Estate near St John's Town of Dalry in Kircudbrightshire, now Dumfries and Galloway, however her father, James Chalmers, was forced through financial difficulties to sell up and rent Braehead Farm on Haugh Road, two miles or so to the south of Mauchline, East Ayrshire where she could have first encountered Robert Burns whilst he was living at Mossgiel Farm. She was well versed in literature, although largely self-taught, also in music and she was a competent singer of Scots songs. Euphemia Chalmers née Murdoch, Peggy's mother, made Burns's acquaintance at the Harvieston Estate when he was on his tour of the West Highlands. Euphemia was the daughter of the last Laird of Cumloddan in the Stewartry of Kircudbright. Peggy married the banker Lewis Hay on 9 December 1788 after a period when her engagement was kept as a secret from her family. Lewis worked at the Edinburgh bank of Sir William Forbes, James Hunter & Co. The couple lived at the Forbes Bank premises in Parliament Square and subsequently at 12 Buccleuch Place after Lewis's death. They had three sons and three daughters and they moved to the continent where Lewis died.