She was the woman who was given Robert Louis Stevenson's birthday.
More than 120 years ago, one of Scotland's most famous literary sons, in a little-known moment of playful generosity, gave away his own birthday.
Now, many years later, the present's inheritor, Leonie Finn, has visited Edinburgh to talk about her great aunt and the unusual present as part of the Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) Day 2016 celebrations.
Mrs Finn is the great niece to Anna Ide, the girl gifted November 13, in June 1891.
The bequest was result of the move by Stevenson, who was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, to Samoa in 1890. He died there on December 3 1894.
The writer of Treasure Island and Kidnapped because good friends with Sir Henry Ide, the American land commissioner in Samoa.
His daughter Anne was born on Christmas Day and did not enjoy sharing her 25 December birthday with Christmas.
In response, Stevenson drew up a mock legal document transferring his birthday to Anne Ide saying that the transfer would allow her a “proper birthday” and the “eating of rich meats and receipt of gifts”.
The document also stipulated that Anne use the name Louisa “if only in private”, and Anne later assumed the full name Anne Louisa Ide in honour of Stevenson - and always celebrated her birthday on 13 November - the author's birthday.
Anne Ide had no children to inherit the birthday, and she passed Stevenson’s birthday on to her niece Anita Leslie-King who in turn passed that birthday on through her family to Heather Finn, the daughter of Anita’s own child, Leonie Finn.
Heather Finn said: “My grandmother Anita left me the Robert Louis Stevenson birthday before she died.
"Mum would know all the stories about her great aunt Ann, the original recipient of the special birthday.
"It is such an unusual thing to explain to people, an extra birthday. My friends find it so funny but always send me a Happy RLS day birthday card.”
For RLS Day this year, Leonie Finn has came to the capital to talk about her great aunt Anne Ide.
She brings with her a book called Childhood in the Pacific written by Anne Ide detailing how she and her family celebrated the 13 November as her birthday during her years in Samoa.
During her visit, Leonie is staying at the Place Hotel as the inaugural guest at their newsly created Robert Louis Stevenson suite. She will attend an event dedicated to Stevenson's work on stage and screen at Edinburgh Napier University on November 13, as well as taking part in several other events at schools, libraries and universities across the city.
She will be visiting the city's Flora Stevenson Primary School to hand them the runner-up prize in the RLS Day primary school competition when the children throw a planned RLS Day birthday bash.
Ali Bowden, director of Edinburgh's Unesco City of Literature Trust, said: “The story of how RLS gave his birthday away to little Anne Ide has been told in Edinburgh for many years.
"We were incredibly excited when we found Leonie and Heather, and it is the perfect way to mark Stevenson’s birthday this RLS Day."
Leonie Finn said: “Heather and I were so excited when the City of Literature Trust got in touch with us, it was lovely to be asked to be involved. The story of how my great aunt Anne was gifted Stevenson’s birthday was one of my mother’s favourite stories."
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