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Draft letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 31July 1789

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/01/60
Alt. number
3.6091
Date
31 July 1789
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)
Recipient
Graham, Robert

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Description

Draft letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, dated Ellisland, 31st July, 1789.

Burns met Robert Graham at Athole House, Blair Atholl in 1787. They became friends and later, once Graham had become a Commissioner of the Scottish Board of Excise, Burns sought Graham's good offices to get himself a position with the Excise in Dumfries.

In this letter, Burns describes a recent meeting with John Mitchell, the Excise Collector of Dumfries. Using a letter of introduction written by Graham, Burns met with him to discuss his future role within the Excise. They agreed that it would be a fortuitous decision for the Excise Board to remove the current Officer near Ellisland and replace him with Burns. Burns hopes that this rather controversial suggestion is agreeable and says if it were to happen, he would probably give up farming for the more lucrative £50 per annum.

The letter continues with Burns writing many flattering lines to Graham in the hopes that he will agree to promote Burns's cause. He asks after Graham's family and wishes them good health before finishing with a request to borrow more books from his library.

Archive information

Place of creation


Hierarchy

  1. Letters from and to Robert Burns ( )
  2. Draft letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 31July 1789

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