Burns, Robert b. January 25, 1759 d. July 21, 1796 Poet. Born the eldest of seven children at Alloway, near Ayr, the son of William Burnes, a small farmer and gardener for the Provost of Ayr. Burns was educated briefly at John Murdoch's school in Alloway but received most of his schooling at home. His first love, Nelly Kirkpatrick inspired him to try his hand at poetry, and he wrote a song entitled "O, once I lov'd a bonnie lass", and set it to the tune of a traditional reel. In 1783 he started composing poetry in a traditional style using the...[Read More] (Bio by: Iola) St Michael's Cemetery, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
b. January 25, 1759 d. July 21, 1796