Christened Robert Burness, the celebrated Scottish poet was born January 25, 1759 in Alloway, near Ayr. His poetry is known around the world and—somewhat controversially— he is well known to freemasons as the Poet Laureate of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2.

He joined Saint David’s Lodge No. 174, Tarbolton in 1781, the first of six masonic lodges he was to join. By 1784 he was Depute Master of Saint James' Lodge No 178, now 135, in the same town. In 1788, two years after publication of his Kilmarnock edition, he was master of a lodge in Mauchline.

A childhood bout with rheumatic fever led to a gradual deterioration of his health until his death on 21 July 1796 at the age of 37. Robert Burns' brother, Gilbert Burns (d. 1827/04/27) was Raised in St. James Lodge No. 178 Tarboltan on March 1, 1786. [Denslow].