Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January 1759 in ... · Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was one of seven children. The cottage

Robert Burns was born on the

25th of January 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland.

He was one of seven children.

The cottage where he was

born is now a museum.

www.teachingideas.co.uk Images: © ThinkStock©

In 2009, Robbie Burns was the first

person ever to feature on a commemorative bottle of Coca Cola.

Some of Burns' poems are written in Scots, while others

are written in English. They

have also been translated into

over forty other languages.


Burns published his first collection of poems to raise

money to move to Jamaica. They

were so successful that he

changed his plans and moved to Edinburgh instead, where he lived

the life of a celebrity.

Burns wrote and collected

hundreds of poems and songs in his short life - including Auld

Lang Syne, which is

traditionally sung on

Hogmanay (New Year's Eve).


Burns died on 21st July 1796, aged

37. It is not clear what caused his

death. He is buried in the Burns Mausoleum in St Michael’s

Churchyard, Dumfries.

Burns had at least 13 children with at least four different women, including

two sets of twins with his wife Jean.

He had three daughters called

Elizabeth.


Burns' youngest son Maxwell was

born on the day of his funeral, the 25th of July 1796.

Burns' father was a farmer

and Burns joined him working on the farm at the

age of 12. The demanding

physical work had lasting

effects on his health.


Although his parents were not

well off, Burns received quite a

good education, mostly from his

father who was self-educated. His parents encouraged his love

of reading.

There are over 60 memorial statues

to Robert Burns all over the world, including England, Northern Ireland,

America, Canada, Australia, New

Zealand, Estonia and of course

Scotland!


Burns wrote his first song

aged just fifteen, inspired by

a girl he worked with on the harvest, whom he called

"Handsome Nell".

Burns Night is celebrated on

the 25th of January. At a Burns Night Supper, people celebrate

his life and work by eating

haggis, reading his poems and

singing his songs.


Burns' work was popular

because his poems are

funny and he wrote about everyday life.

Burns tried to run his own farm but he was not suited

to it and in 1791 he

became an exciseman (a

tax collector).


Burns did not write the words to

Auld Lang Syne, in fact he was

writing down the traditional song

to preserve it. It is now one of three most frequently sung songs

in English.

The first Burns Night was held on the anniversary of

his death in 1801, when his

friends gathered to mark the

fifth anniversary of his death.


Burns was known by several

names, including; Rabbie Burns,

Bard of Scotland, Bard of Ayrshire, National Poet of Scotland and the

Ploughman Poet.

Burns wrote many famous poems.

Some of the best known are Tom

O'Shanter, Man's a Man for A' That

and To a Mouse.


In 1802, Burns night was held on the

29th of January, due to a mistake in his biography.


Documents

Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January 1759 in ... · Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was one of seven children. The cottage