Pride and Passion: Robert Burns, 1759-1796

1759. Jan. 25. Robert Burns born at Alloway; eldest son of William Burnes (1721-1784) and his wife Agnes Broun (1732-1820). The other children were Gilbert (1760-1827), Agnes (1762-1834), Anabella (1764-1832), William (1767-1790), John (1769-1785), and Isabella (1771-1858).

1765. Robert and Gilbert sent to school to John Murdoch.

1766. William Burnes rents Mt. Oliphant farm.

1768. Murdoch gives up Alloway school. The Titus Andronicus incident.

1772. Robert and Gilbert attend Dalrymple parish school, week about, during summer quarter.

1773. Robert studies grammar and French with Murdoch for three weeks; writes his first song, ‘Handsome Nell’, for Nellie Kilpatrick.

1774. Hard times begin at Mt. Oliphant.

1775. Burns attends Hugh Rodger’s school at Kirkoswald.

1777. At Whitsun William Burnes moves from Mt. Oliphant to Lochlie.

1779. Burns joins a dancing class ‘in absolute defiance’ of his father’s commands.

1780. The Tarbolton Bachelors’ Club organized.

1781. Burns courts Alison Begbie. His father’s dispute with David M’Lure, his landlord, begins. Burns joins the Freemasons, and about midsummer goes to Irvine as a flax-dresser.

1782. Jan. 1. The Irvine shop burnt out; soon after, Burns returns to Lochlie.
Sept. 24. William Burnes’s dispute referred to arbiters.

1783. Jan. Burns wins a £3 prize for flax-seed.
April. Burns begins his Commonplace Book.
May 17. M’Lure gets a writ of sequestration against William Burnes.
Aug. 18. The ‘Oversman’ reports in Burnes’s favor.
Aug. 25. Burnes makes first appeal to Court of Session.
Autumn. Robert and Gilbert secretly arrange to rent Mossgiel.

1784. Jan. 27. The Court of Session upholds William Burnes.
Feb. 13. Death of William Burnes. The family moves to Mossgiel.

1785. May 22. Birth of Elizabeth, the poet’s daughter by Elizabeth Paton.
Nov. 1. Burial of John Burns, the poet’s youngest brother. During this year Burns began to write his satires, composed ‘The Jolly Beggars’, and in Oct. finished his first Commonplace Book. He also met Jean Armour.

1786. Jan. (?). Burns plans migration to Jamaica.
April 3. ‘Proposals’ for the Kilmarnock Poems sent to press.
c. April 23. James Armour repudiates Burns as a son-in-law.
May 12. Supposed date of composing ‘The Court of Equity’.
May 14. Supposed date of farewell to Highland Mary.
July 9. Burns’s first penitential appearance in church.
July 22. Burns transfers his share in Mossgiel to Gilbert.
July 30. Burns in hiding from James Armour’s writ.
July 31. The Kilmarnock Poems published.
c. Sept. 1. First postponement of Jamaica voyage.
Sept. 3. Jean Armour bears twins, who are christened Robert and Jean.
c. Sept. 27. Second postponement of Jamaica voyage.
Oct. 23. Burns dines at Catrine House.
End of Oct. Abandonment of Jamaica plans.
Nov. 27. Burns sets out for Edinburgh.
Dec. 1. Elizabeth Paton accepts Burns’s settlement of her claim.

1786. Nov. 29. Burns arrives in Edinburgh.
Dec. 9. Henry Mackenzie praises the Kilmarnock Poems in The Lounger.
Dec. 14. William Creech issues subscription bills for the Edinburgh edition of the Poems.

1787. Jan. 13. The Grand Lodge of Scotland toasts Burns as ‘Caledonia’s Bard’.
April 21. Edinburgh Poems published.
April 23. Burns sells his copyright for 100 guineas.
May 5-June 1. Burns tours the Border.
End of May. VOL. I of Scots Musical Museum published.
June 2. Burns receives Meg Cameron’s appeal.
June 8. Burns’s ‘éclatant return to Mauchline’.
End of June. Burns tours West Highlands as far as Inverary.
July 29. Jean Armour ‘in for it again’.
Aug. 2. Burns completes his autobiographical letter to Dr. John Moore.
Aug. 8. Burns returns to Edinburgh.
Aug. 15. Burns freed of Meg Cameron’s writ.
Aug. 25-Sept. 16. Highland tour with William Nicol.
Oct. 4-20. Tour in Stirlingshire.
Oct. Death of poet’s daughter, Jean.
Nov. Burns begins active work for the Museum.
Dec. 4. Burns meets Agnes M’Lehose.
Dec. 7. Burns dislocates his knee.
Dec. 8. The Clarinda correspondence begins.

1788. Jan. 4. Burns’s first visit to Clarinda.
Feb. 13-14. Peak of the Clarinda correspondence: four letters in two days.
Feb. 18. Burns leaves Edinburgh.
Feb. 23. Burns returns to Mauchline; is ‘disgusted’ by Jean.
Feb. 27 (?)-Mar. 2. Burns visits Ellisland with John Tennant.
Mar. 3. Jean bears twin girls, of whom one dies on Mar. 10 and the other on Mar. 22.
c. Mar. 13. Burns returns to Edinburgh.
Mar. 18. Burns signs lease of Ellisland.
Mar. 24. Burns leaves Edinburgh.
Mar. VOL. II of Scots Musical Museum published.
Late April. Burns acknowledges Jean Armour as his wife.
April-May. Burns receives Excise instructions at Mauchline.

1788. June 11. Burns settles at Ellisland.
July 14. Burns’s Excise commission issued.
Nov. 5. Centenary of the ‘Glorious Revolution’.
Nov. Jenny Clow bears Burns a son.
Dec. Jean joins Burns in borrowed quarters at the Isle.

1789. Feb. 16. Burns goes to Edinburgh to close accounts with Creech and to settle Jenny Clow’s suit.
Feb. 28. Burns returns to Ellisland.
Summer. Burns meets Francis Grose.
Aug. 18. Francis Wallace Burns born.
Sept. 1. Burns begins duty as Excise officer.
Nov. Burns ill with ‘malignant squinancy and low fever’.

1790. Jan. 27. Burns’s name placed on list of those eligible for promotion as Examiners and Supervisors.
Feb. VOL. III of Scots Musical Museum published.
July. Burns transferred to Dumfries 3d Division.
July 24. Death of William Burns in London.
Dec. 1. MS. of ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ sent to Grose.

1791. Mar. 31. Anne Park bears Burns a daughter, Elizabeth.
April 9. William Nicol Burns born.
April. ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ published in Grose’s Antiquities of Scotland and in the March Edinburgh Magazine.
June 19-22. Burns in Ayrshire to attend Gilbert’s wedding.
Aug. 25. Auction of crops at Ellisland.
Sept. 10. Formal renunciation of Ellisland lease signed.
Nov. 11. Burns moves into Dumfries.
Nov. 29-Dec. 11. Burns in Edinburgh. Farewell again to Agnes M’Lehose.

1792. Feb. Burns promoted to Dumfries Port Division.
Feb. 29. Capture of schooner Rosamond.
April 10. Burns made honorary member of Royal Company of Archers, Edinburgh.
April 19. Sale of the Rosamond’s carronades.
Aug. VOL. IV of Scots Musical Museum published.
Sept. 16. Burns begins work for Thomson’s Select Collection.
Nov. 13. Burns subscribes for Edinburgh Gazetteer.
Nov. 21. Birth of Elizabeth Riddell Burns.
Mid-Dec. Burns’s last visit to Dunlop House.
Dec. 31. Inquiry into Burns’s loyalty.

1793. Jan. 5. Burns defends himself to Graham of Fintry.
Feb. 1. France declares war against England.
Feb. Second Edinburgh edition of Poems published.
March. Burns asks, and receives, burgess privileges in the Dumfries schools.
May 19. Burns moves to house in Mill Vennel.
June. First number of Thomson’s Select Collection published.
c. July 30-Aug. 2. First Galloway tour with Syme.
Aug. The Edinburgh sedition trials.
c. Aug. 30. ‘Bannockburn’ sent to Thomson.
c. Dec. 31. Beginning of the Riddell quarrel.

1794. Jan. 12. Final breach with Maria Riddell.
April 21. Death of Robert Riddell.
c. May 1. Burns declines a post on Morning Chronicle, London.
c. June 25-28. Second Galloway tour with Syme.
Aug. 12. Birth of James Glencairn Burns.
c. Dec. 22. Burns appointed Acting Supervisor at Dumfries.

1795. Jan. 12. Burns posts the letter which estranged Mrs. Dunlop.
Jan. 31. Burns joins in organizing the Dumfries Volunteers.
Feb. Reconciliation with Maria Riddell.
April. The Reid miniature painted. Alexander Findlater resumes his duties as Supervisor at Dumfries.
Sept. Death of Elizabeth Riddell Burns.
Dec.-Jan. Burns ill with rheumatic fever.

1796. Mar. 12-14. Food riots in Dumfries.
July 3-16. Burns at the Brow Well.
July 18. Burns writes his last letter.
July 21. Death of Burns.
July 25. Funeral of Burns, and birth of his son Maxwell.
Dec. VOL. V of Scots Musical Museum published.