Burns Information and Traditions

Timeline of events for robert burns

Events prior to and after Robert Burns life

Events during the life of Robert Burns

1745 The Jacobite Uprising attempts to restore a Stewart king to the British throne 

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

1750 Burns' father moved to Alloway 

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 

1772 James Murdoch employed to teach Burns 

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

1777 William Burnes moved family to Lochlie 

1780 Bachelors' Club formed 

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 the Mausoleum