Calendar of Events

From Robert Burns (Wee Guide)

1745-6    The Jacobite Uprising attempts but fails to restore a Stewart king to the British throne

1748    The Burnes (or Burness) family leave Kincardineshire – William to Edinburgh

1757    William Burnes marries Agnes Brown of Kirkoswald

1759    Robert Burns born in Alloway, 25 January

1760    Birth of Robert’s brother Gilbert: other children follow

1766    The Burnes family move to Mount Oliphant, near Alloway

1776    The American War of Independence begins. The Burns family move to Lochlie farm

1781    Robert Burns becomes a Freemason. Burns moves to Irvine to learn the trade of flax-dressing

1784    Death of William Burnes. Robert moves his family to Mossgiel and changes the spelling of the family name to Burns; probably meets Jean Armour in this year

1785    Burns completes many of the poems for the Kilmarnock edition including ‘The Cotter’s Saturday Night’

1786    The Kilmarnock Edition of Burns’ poems is published; Jean Armour gives birth to twins; death of Highland Mary; Burns goes to Edinburgh

1787    First Edinburgh Edition of poems published by William Creech; first volume of the Scots Musical Museum (edited by Burns) published – five more follow

1788    Burns returns to Dumfriesshire and takes lease on Ellisland; marries Jean Armour

1789    Storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution; Burns becomes an Exciseman

1791    Burns gives up Ellisland and moves his family to Dumfries (11 Bank Street)

1792    Burns promoted to Dumfries Port Division; on 29 February the smuggling ship Rosamond is seized

1793    The Burns family move to Mill Vennel, now 24 Burns Street; The Second Edinburgh Edition of his poems published by William Creech – this includes ‘Tam o’ Shanter’; Thomas Muir of Huntershill is sentenced to 14 years’ transportation; King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette are executed in France

1794    Burns promoted to Supervisor; re-issue of the Second Edinburgh Edition

1795    Burns joins the Royal Dumfries Volunteers; in September his daughter Elizabeth dies and Burns becomes gravely ill with rheumatic fever

1796    Meal Riots in Dumfries; Burns continues to work until June in rapidly deteriorating health; on 3 July goes to Brow on Solway on medical advice but fails to revive; dies in Dumfries on 21 July 

1817    On the night of 19 September, Burns’ remains moved to the Mausoleum in St Michael’s Kirkyard from their original resting-place

1834    Death of Jean Armour, who is buried beside Burns in his Mausoleum

© Martin Coventry 2017