Patrick HERON and his wife are described as having been of low stature;that he was unlike his father, a well-built man. Which of his wives isreferred to we do not know. He was twice elected M.P. for the Stewartryof Galloway.
1767, July 21: Patrick HERON of Heron (Kirrouchtrie, parish ofMinnigaffe) gave resignation and renunciation to Robert MACLELLAN ofBarscombe of the lands of Barscombe, Hardlands and Comlaw. RobertMACLELLAN, the son of Robert MACLELLAN was the last who owned the lands.
Heron was celebrated as one of the originators of a banking scheme whichbrought ruin to many in and out of Galloway. It was started in Ayr in1769 and finally stopped payment in 1773. This business was carried onunder the designation of Douglas, Heron and Co. The chief promoters werethe Hon. Archibald DOUGLAS of Douglas and Patrick HERON.
1769: as Baron, he inherited Cressy Hall in England
1772 abt: Divorced his first wife, Jean HOME. No issue.
1793: Patrick HERON was designated the Laird of Kirrouchtrie.
1794, June: Robert BURNS visited Patrick HERON at Kerroughtree withDavid McCULLOCH and John SYME.
1795: Patrick stood for the Stewartry as a Whig candidate and Burnshelped his campaign by writing satirical Election Ballads. Heron won theelection.
1796: Parliament was disolved, but Heron was re-elected. (Burns,although ill, again wrote an Election Ballad for him, but did not live tosee his re-election.)
1798, Mar 28: Patrick HERON of Heron had sasine of the land of Netherlawand others, with the teinds and pertinents, on trust, with disposition,etc.
1800, June 21: He again had sasine of Barcheskie, Outer Netherlaw,Chappelton, Place Crofts, and Nether Miln.
1802: Heron won again the General Election in 1802, but was unseated inMay 1803, and his name was erased from the rolls by order of the House.
He died at Grantham, in 1803; aged 47 years old, on the way home fromParliament to Scotland. Believed to have had a brother Basil ("the auldmajor")(Source: Robert Burns)
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!Lady Elizabeth COCHRANE was the daughter of Thomas COCHRANE of Culrossand Ochiltree (who succeeded as eighth Earl of Dundonald in 1758 asdescendent of William, first Earl) by Jane, eldest daughter of ArchibaldSTUART of Torrance, Lanarkshire (the descent of this family is known asthe Castlemilk branch).
Whether Robert Burns met Lady Elizabeth HERON (nee COCHRANE) through herhusband Patrick HERON, or her husband through her is not known. But wedo know that Lady Elizabeth HERON sent to Burns an air which she hadcomposed, entitled 'The Banks of Cree' for which he wrote the versesbeginning 'here is the glen and here the bower' and refers to her as'Maria' in the lyrics. (Thomson, Burns's publisher, did not like the airand despite Burns's express orders to the contrary, published the song tothe tune 'The Flowers of Edinburgh' in 1798 when Burns was no longeralive to protest.). It is stated in the house records that Robert Burnsvisited Kirrouchtrie often and would sit at the foot of the main stairsand recite his poetry.

Died young (McKerlie)
Died aged 19