LONDONS LINK WITH BURNS

Evening Star, Issue 14225, 26 November 1909, Page 1

LONDONS LINK WITH BURNS

There has just been discovered in London an undoubted great-grandson of Robert Bums, in a direct line. As is well known, there still survives a natural grandson of the poet in Mr James Glencairn Thomson, whose old age is being tenderly cared for by loyal Scotsmen. Only a couple of years ago the Civil List included grants to Mrs Sarah Hutchinson and Miss Annie Burns, of Cheltenham, both "Robbie’s” granddaughters. Hitherto London has been unable to claim a living bond with the poet of freedom, but in George William Pyrkcs, a cheery old coppersmith living and working in the City, we seem to have found a descendant of the poet who takes precedence of Scotland's own living bond. George Pyrkcs, an old fellow of sixtyeight, is the son of Anne Burns, only daughter of the poet’s eldest son Robert, who is known to have married in London. For over fifty years he has worked at his trade as a coppersmith. Making tea urns is his specialty, and it is one that for - many years has meant only a bare living wage for the worker. New-fangled boilers have long put the old hand-hammered copper tea urn out of fashion, and the decline in the demand for this article and the approach of old age have caused Mr Pyrkes anxiety as to his wage-earning capacity in tho years that are left to him. Two years hence he will, of course, be eligible for an old age pension. The old chap, though proud of his descent from Scotland’s most cherished poet, has never taken any trouble to bring himself into public. notice; indeed, his fellow-workers at Still’s factory in Clerkenwell were till a few days ago quite unaware that they had in their midst a man who might well be quite as proud of his ancestry as any Plantagenet of his Norman blood. Now, however, the London 1 Chronicle ’ has taken Pyrkes by the hand, and no doubt the future prospects of the old fellow will be made secure,, quite apart from the State pension to which he will become entitled if he lives a couple of years longer.—London correspondent.