Robert Burns biography, Rabbie Burn's, Scottish poets

Robert Burns image
Robert Burns

Robert Burns is fondly nicknamed The Son of Scotland, The Heaven Sent Ploughman and The National Poet of Scotland. His nickname by his wife, Jean Armour, was Robin. His friends called him Rabbie or Robbie and even Bob.

Robert Burns was born the son of William and Agnes Burnes (nee Broun) on the 25th of January, 1759, in a clay cottage, built by his father. Rabbie ( as he was more commonly known as ) would later drop the 'e' in Burnes to become Rabbie Burns.

He was brother to Gilbert, William, John, Agnes, Annabella and Isobel.

Birthplace of Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr image
Birth place of Robert Burns, Alloway, Ayr.

visit burns cottage

Like most farmers, Robert's father was poor and the opportunity for farmers children to receive education was seldom. However, he invested in education for his sons by encouraging other farmers to pool together to finance a schoolmaster, John Murdoch, to teach all the children, particularly English grammar and composition. He also leased nearby Mount Oliphant farm and ran a market garden to help with finances.

As with all farms the family had to pull together to help on the land, especially during harvest time, it is thought that the hard physical work caused Robert Burs to develop the heart condition rheumatic fever, which was later to claim his life at the age of only 37.

Robert Burns and his siblings were brought up with lots of story telling from their mother, maid and cousin, Betty Davidson. Stories of witches and warlocks and traditional Scottish songs and ballads would later inspire the young boy to later write famous works such as Tam O' Shanter.

In 1777, the family moved to Lochlea at Tarbolton and Robert, aged 18 developed an interest in the ladies, which earned him a reputation as a womaniser. His first love was Nelly Kirkpatrick who inspired him to write Handsome Nell.

Some of his other loves included Peggy Chambers, Meg Cameron, Mary Campbell , Anna Park, Nancy McLehose, Maria Liddell, Lesley Baillee, Jessie Leward and Jenny Clow.

These loves inspired such poetry as Ae Fond Kiss, The Rigs o Barley and the much loved Red, Red Rose.

He did however find time to set up 'The Bachelors Debating Club at Tarbolton.

On 17th of February, 1784, his father died and being the eldest son, Robert became the head of the family. Financially secure, thanks to his poetry, he moved with his family to Mossgiel farm at Mauchline. It is said that during this time he had an illegitimate daughter with a servant girl called Lizzie Paton. It is also rumoured that Burns the womaniser had several illegitimate children to different woman.

Jean Armour image
Jean Armour

In 1785, his girlfriend and true love, Jean Armour, became pregnant. Wishing to wed, their requests were prevented because her parents considered Burns to be an impoverished and rebellious versifier. The local minister for Mauchline, the Reverend William Auld, was also against their marriage. This was met with Burns writing about the hypocrisy and narrowness of the church in his poems and verse. During this turbulent time Burns even considered emigrating to Jamaica.

Robert Burns was a freemason and in July,1786 his fellow masons of the Tarbolton Lodge helped him to sell his first book of poetry. A book of 36 poems was published, chiefly in Scottish dialect - The Kilmarnock Edition. Over 600 copies were printed selling at three shillings each, which sold out within the first week. This was mostly due to the help of his fellow mason, lawyer, Robert Aitken, who would talk about the book and recite poetry to anyone and everyone he met.

Burns moved to Edinburgh to work on a second book before touring Scotland. He visited many battlefields and castles to inspire more works. In 1788, he bought Ellisland farm in Dumfries and became a farm owner.

Shortly after, he returned to Mauchline and resumed his relationship with Jean Armour. She had already borne him twins, Robert and Jean and soon they were pregnant again. They eventually married in April, 1788 and returned as a family to Ellisland farm.

The toll of supporting his mother and Mossgiel farm and providing for his own wife and children proved too much and Robert was forced to take on additional job as a Customs Excise man. This entailed riding hundreds of miles every week in all weathers whilst still trying to run his own farm. This resulted in his health deteriorating and he had no choice but to give up farming and move to Dumfries to work full time for the Excise.

With the French Revolution disrupting imports, his earnings were dismal. He joined the volunteer regiment, however, his tailor, fleeced him for payment for the cost of his uniform. This caused even more money worries and eventually his depression and further ill health worsened. His doctor suggested bathing at the Brow of the Solway Firth, however, this only made his health worse. With the imminent birth of his ninth child Burns worried over debts and his families future.

This ultimately put great strain on his already weakened heart and on the 21st of July, 1796, at 5am, aged 37 years, Robert Burns died. His death was caused by Rheumatic Heart disease. His funeral was at St Michaels Kirkyard in Dumfries. On the same day Jean Armour gave birth to their ninth child, Maxwell Burns.

After his death, another book of poems was published to help raise money for widow, Jean and their children. Friends and readers of Burns work also gave money to support the family. In 1834 Jean died and was buried next to her husband. She was survived by only three sons.

The body of Robert Burns was later reinterned in a grave under a marble mausoleum at St. Michaels church in Dumfries.

Robert Burns Mausoleum image

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