John Burnet of Barns

The novel follows the adventures of John Burnet (a fictional relative of the 17th-century cleric and historian Gilbert Burnet), supposed to have been born at Barns in Tweeddale, Scotland in 1666.[3] It is written as an autobiography, with the eponymous writer detailing the events of his life as a first-person narrative.

The novel opens in 1678, with the 12-year-old, bookish John Burnet escaping from the eye of his tutor at Barns for a day's fishing expedition. In the woods he meets Marjory Veitch, about 10 years old, the daughter of a neighbour. The two become playmates and, over the years, sweethearts.

Following the recommendation of his illustrious uncle Gilbert Burnet of Edinburgh, John is at the age of 18 sent to study at the university in Glasgow. There he makes an exceptional scholar, but has only been there for about two years when he chances to see in the street his soldier cousin Gilbert Burnet riding arrogantly through the town at the head of a king’s troop of horse, dressed in the latest fashions. John resolves there and then to give up the life of a scholar, and to keep up the name of his house by himself becoming a Cavalier. He buys himself a blade and a new suit of clothes, and returns home.

Back at Barns, he is welcomed with surprise by his father who is entertaining a guest – his cousin. Gilbert insults John and offhandedly makes clear his intention to court Marjory. He challenges John to a long and dangerous race on horseback through the surrounding hills, a race that John ultimately wins, though at the cost of Gilbert's lifelong enmity.

John asks Marjory to marry him, and shortly afterwards become the new laird of Barns following the sudden death of his father. He decides that he should spend some time travelling abroad before returning to marry Marjory and take up his new role at home. Becoming interested once more in scholarship, he travels to Netherlands to study at the university in Leyden, where he again encounters his cousin. During a supper party, Gilbert taunts John, and the latter hurls a wine glass at him. The cousins fight a duel, John emerging victorious. Gilbert departs for Scotland.

Some months later, John receives a mysterious letter from Marjory summoning him back home urgently. On his arrival in Scotland, John finds that Gilbert has falsely denounced him as a traitor, his lands have been confiscated, and he is hunted around the Borders by Gilbert's soldiers. Fearing for Marjory's safety, he covertly escorts her to shelter with a kinsman, while he takes to the hills as an outlaw. However, Gilbert finds Marjory and tricks her into accompanying him to his estate in the west of Scotland. John follows, helps her escape, then confronts Gilbert. They are in the midst of a final fight when Gilbert is mortally wounded by a shot from one of his own disgruntled men.

King James having been deposed by William of Orange while John was on the run, he is now free to travel to Edinburgh and to London to recover his lands. That complete, he returns to Barns and marries Marjory.

• John Burnet: of the House of Barns, Tweeddale
• Majory Veitch: his neighbour and childhood sweetheart
• William Burnet: John’s elderly father, laird of Barns
• Gilbert Burnet: William’s brother and John’s uncle; later Bishop of Salisbury
• Gilbert Burnet: Gilbert’s son and John’s cousin; a soldier for the King
• Nicol Plenderleith: John’s servant.

Buchan was not entirely satisfied with the novel, and wrote to a friend, “To tell the truth I am rather ashamed of it; it is so very immature and boyish. I had no half serious interest in fiction when I wrote it and the result is a sort of hotch-potch". Early reviews were mixed, but confirmed that Buchan was a writer to watch. The Labour Leader opined that it was "a most remarkable work for so young a man".[2]

David Daniell, in The Interpreter's House (1975), states that, in spite of faults of inexperience, this is a fine book for a first long novel. Although the book is indeed a ‘hotch-potch’, it is a fascinating one in which Buchan, with evidence of a lot of thought, reworks big themes.[4] Daniell concludes that the book is “a clever, searching analysis of non–commitment done with a good deal of novelistic skill, at the fringes of a more frightening darkness".[5]

• Daniell, David (1975). The Interpreter’s House. London: Nelson. ISBN 0 17 146051 0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lownie, Andrew (2013). John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier. London: Thistle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-909609-99-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• John Burnet of Barns at Faded Page (Canada)
• John Burnet of Barns at Project Gutenberg Australia