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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham
In this two page letter, Burns writes to Robert Graham to ask for his patronage in his application to become an exciseman. Graham, whom Burns had met the year before at Blair Atholl, had recently been appointed an Excise Commissioner and the support of a man of influence was needed to be successful.
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Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) dies in Rome.
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Burns returns to Tarbolton to see Jean Armour, who is pregnant.
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Jean Armour gives birth to twin girls, who both die, unnamed, within a month.
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Burns takes on the lease at Ellisland, the farm he and Jean will live in from 1789 to 1791.
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Burns receives his Excise commission and begins his traineeship.
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The formal marriage of Jean Armour and Robert Burns is registered in Mauchline, although they likely married in March 1788.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 10 September 1788
This is a three page letter in which Burns explains his financial and farming problems to Robert Graham of Fintry. He asks Graham to consider making room for him in a local Excise Division by ousting the incumbent officer, as Burns's financial need is greater. If this were to happen, Burns would solve his business problems and be able him to embark on more literary projects. Burns also encloses a poem 'To Robert Graham of Fintry Esqr, with a request for an Excise Division'.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 23 September, 1788
In this letter to Robert Graham, Burns makes an effusive reply to Graham's favourable response to his letter of 10 September. He also reiterates his wish to obtain an Excise Division by the following summer and suggests a wider alternative to his earlier plan.
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Jenny Clow, the maid of Agnes Maclehose in Edinburgh, gives birth to a son, Robert Burns Jnr.
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Burns sends the first version of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to Mrs Dunlop. During his time at Ellisland Farm, Burns writes over 130 songs and poems, nearly a quarter of his total output.
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Robert Burns formally takes up Excise work with a salary of £50 per annum.
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William Blake writes Songs of Innoncence.
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George Washington becomes the first President of the United States of America.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 13 May 1789
In this letter, Robert Burns advises Robert Graham on how he has progressed with the Dumfries Collector, to whom Graham had introduced him. It also includes a poem for Mrs Graham.
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Jean Armour and Robert Burns move into Ellisland Farm.
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The fall of the Bastille in Paris marks the beginning of the French Revolution.
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Draft letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 31July 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.
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Francis Wallace Burns is born to Jean Armour Burns.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, dated, 9 December 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.
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Epistle to Robert Graham of Fintry on the election for the Dumfries string of Boroughs, 1790
This poem takes the form of a verse epistle written to Burns's friend Sir Robert Graham of Fintry. It describes the characters and background of the then recently completed general election of 1790 for the Dumfries Boroughs seat. In this poem Burns shows his wide knowledge of the contestants and their supporters in this rousing commentary.
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Robert Burns writes Tam o’ Shanter.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 10 June 1790
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.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 4 September 1790
In this letter, Burns outlines his rapid promotion in his Excise career to his patron Robert Graham and gives him some thoughts as to his future aspirations. He sees this career as being more beneficial to farming and announces his intention to give up the farm at Ellisland.
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Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man is published in London.
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Anne Park gives birth to Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Burns. Betty is raised by Jean Armour with the rest of Burns’s children after Anne’s death in 1793.
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Jean Armour gives birth to William Nicol Burns at Ellisland.
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Washington DC is founded as America’s capital city.
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The first Ten Amendments to the American Constitution are created.
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Postscript to some poetical pieces sent to Robert Graham
This postscript was written probably from Ellisland to accompany the verse letter written to Robert Graham on 5 October 1791.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 5 October 1791
Burns wrote this letter in verse to Robert Graham on 5 October 1791. The text is principally the poem. 86 lines.
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Robert Burns and his family leave Ellisland Farm and take up residence in Dumfries.
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Mozart dies, aged 35, in Vienna.
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The last meeting takes place between Agnes Maclehose and Robert Burns in Edinburgh. She departs for Jamaica to be briefly reconciled with her husband in January 1792.
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Burns is asked to contribute to George Thomson’s A Select Collection of Original Scotish Airs for the Voice.
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Jean Armour gives birth to Elizabeth Riddell Burns.
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Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is published.
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The French Republic is established.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 31 December, 1792
In this panicked letter to Robert Graham, Burns reveals that he has been suspected of being disloyal to the government for whom he works and is to be investigated by Mr. John Mitchell, his Excise Supervisor. He appeals to Graham's humanity and pleads for his assistance in refuting the charges.
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The second Edinburgh edition of Poems, Chiefly in a Scottish Dialect is published and the first volume of Thomson’s Select Collection.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 5 January 1793
Seven page letter which Burns writes to Graham in defence of the disloyalty charges which had been brought against him. He gives a detailed response to refute each charge and feels he has accounted well enough for himself to ask Graham to support his next scheme for advancement.
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King Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.
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France declares war against Britain.
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Letter of Robert Burns to Robert Graham, Jan 7th 1794
This is a two page letter to Robert Graham in which Burns, reflecting on the likely promotion of two senior Excise colleagues, puts forward the case for his own promotion as a replacement.
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Robert Burns is appointed Acting Supervisor of the Excise.
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Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 7 January 1794
This four page letter finds Burns makes some suggestions to Robert Graham for the restructuring and streamlining of the Dumfries Divisions in the interests of economy. He also asks for his name not to be revealed if anything were to come of it.