The Life of Robert Burns
By Nancy A. MacCorkill

The birthplace of Scotland's National Poet in the village of Alloway, near Ayr, has been a well-visited place for Burns enthusiasts for years. Robert was the eldest of 7 children born to Wm. Burnes (it was spelled Burnes in his father's day) a market gardener and Agnes Jones Brown Burnes, his mother.

The cottage was built by William's own hands. It sat on 7 1/2 acres of land. Here, amid hardship and poverty William saw to it that his sons were well educated. Robert was an avid reader, developing a command of vocabulary and literary English and a love of folk songs. His mother could not read, but knew many old songs and sang them to the family.

Robbie Burns entered the world on a cold January day. He was born in the kitchen of the one story humble dwelling built by his father.

While in Edinburgh he met two music publishers, James Johnson and George Thompson two music publishers, to whose collection of songs burns was contributing right up until his death in 1796. Burns first love was song.

He had a keen ear for music and a keen sense of rhythm. Many of his original manuscripts are on display at the museum in the park and many 1st Editions of the works of Robert. Robert Burns rescued some 360 folk songs, polished the old work or wrote new ones (those were his Dumfriesshire years).

He penned his earliest poems when he was but fifteen and he never composed a song without first having a tune in his head. It becomes quickly apparent he was much more than a poet, but also a song writer and a lyricist.

Among the Museum's treasures is the original manuscript of Auld Lang Syne (meant to be a greeting song, it has become treasured as a parting song) hangs on one wall.

The Bard's works are as fresh today as they were when written. His memory is indeed immortal and one expects at any moment to see him sitting in the cottage or museum, at the desk, penning books, songs, lyrics. Books piled around him, (I like to think, like mine are around me as I write) doing what he loved most, writing.

Burns Night is celebrated on January 25th to mark the anniversary of his birth in 1759 when , is, he was born on January 25, 1759, when a "blast o' Janwar' in' blew hansel." Burns died on July 21, 1796 at the age of 37.

Copyright 1998 Nancy A. MacCorkill
All Rights Reserved.
Used with permission.
Email Nancy at SconeMac@aol.com
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