Britannica Sources used in this answer

Who was Elizabeth Paton in Robert Burns’s life?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Elizabeth Paton was a servant girl at the farm of Mossgiel, where Robert Burns worked after his father's death. She and Burns had an affair, and in 1785, she gave birth to his first child. Upon the child's birth, Burns famously welcomed the infant with a lively poem.1