After a probation of three years,
he was ordained to the ministerial charge of Urr, a country parish in
the stewartry. In 1794 he received the degree of D.D. from the
University of Edinburgh. Warmly attached to his flock, he ministered at
Urr till his death, which took place on the 16th of May 1806.

Dr Muirhead was a person of warm affections and remarkable humour; his
scholarship was extensive and varied, and he maintained a correspondence
with many of his literary contemporaries. As an author, he is not known
to have written aught save the popular ballad of "Bess, the Gawkie,"--a
production which has been pronounced by Allan Cunningham "a song of
original merit, lively without extravagance, and gay without
grossness,--the simplicity elegant, and the naivete scarcely
rivalled."[61]

[61] We have frequently had occasion to remark the ignorance of modern
editors regarding the authorship of the most popular songs. Every
collector of Scottish song has inserted "Bess, the Gawkie;" but scarcely
one of them has correctly stated the authorship. The song has been
generally ascribed to an anonymous "Rev. Mr Morehead;" by some to the
"Rev. Robert Morehead;" and Allan Cunningham, who states that his father
was acquainted with the real author, has described him as the "Rev.
William Morehead!"

BESS, THE GAWKIE.

TUNE--_"Bess, the Gawkie."_

Blythe young Bess to Jean did say,
Will ye gang to yon sunny brae,
Where flocks do feed, and herds do stray,
And sport a while wi' Jamie?
Ah, na, lass, I 'll no gang there,
Nor about Jamie tak' a care,
Nor about Jamie tak' a care,
For he 's ta'en up wi' Maggie.

For hark, and I will tell you, lass,
Did I not see young Jamie pass,
Wi' mickle blytheness in his face,
Out ower the muir to Maggie.
I wat he gae her mony a kiss,
And Maggie took them nae amiss;
'Tween ilka smack pleased her wi' this,
That Bess was but a gawkie.

For when a civil kiss I seek,
She turns her head, and thraws her cheek,
And for an hour she 'll hardly speak;
Wha 'd no ca' her a gawkie?
But sure my Maggie has mair sense,
She 'll gie a score without offence;
Now gie me ane into the mense,
And ye shall be my dawtie.

O Jamie, ye hae monie ta'en,
But I will never stand for ane
Or twa when we do meet again;
So ne'er think me a gawkie.
Ah, na, lass, that canna be;
S