[3] He first married a widow, Mrs Margaret Kerr, née Gemmell shortly after moving to Irvine and had seven children[4][5] and his second wife was the sister of John Bryan of the Sun Inn, Kilmarnock.

[6] David was the third son of four, his father being Patrick Sillar, farmer at Spittalside (NS 425 277) near Tarbolton, close to the Burns family farm at Lochlea.

[8] David was self-taught, however he still managed to be appointed as a temporary teacher at Tarbolton, the permanent position however went to one John Wilson of Death and Doctor Hornbrook fame.

It is recorded that he wrote to one of his two elder and successful businessmen brothers to ask for a loan of the £5 he needed to keep out of debtor's jail, but was denied.

[11] Makinson however records that this navigation school was very successful, providing him with an income of around £100 per annum,[8] Irvine being a busy port at the time.

David also had a younger brother William who died young and left him a considerable sum of money together with the lease of Spittalside Farm.

[1] Margaret or Peggy Orr was a nurserymaid at Stair House and Robert Burns is said to have lent a hand as a 'blackfoot' or 'black soles' with his courtship of this lady, however the engagement was brief and she later married John Paton, an Edinburgh shoemaker and died there in 1837.

Catherine Stewart of Stair and later Afton Lodge became aware of 'Robert Burns the poet' through his visits with David and she was the first member of the upper classes to acknowledge his ability and befriend him.

His social disposition easily procured him acquaintance; but a certain satirical seasoning, with which he and all poetical geniuses are in some degree influenced, while it set the rustic circle in a roar, was not unaccompanied by its kindred attendant – suspicious fear.

He wore the only tied hair in the parish; and in the church, his plaid, which was of a particular colour, I think fillemot, he wrapped in a particular manner round his shoulders.

[1] Of his friendship with David records that :- After the commencement of my acquaintance with the bard, we frequently met on Sundays at church, when, between sermons, instead of going with our friends or lassies to the inn, we often took a walk in the fields.

'[17] In the summer of 1791 David was forced, probably due to his failing grocery business, to write and ask Burns for a loan, however the poet was not in a position to help, being just five shillings rich at present.

This refers to a type of cart with an ungreased tree axle and no iron tyres, infamous for the almost intolerable screeching sound they made.

In 1789 David published a volume of poetry titled 'Poems' that was 247 pages long, using Robert's printer, John Wilson of Kilmarnock[7] and dedicated to Hugh Montgomery, Esq of Skelmorlie.

They are warm friendly letters and deal with Burns obtaining eleven subscribers for Sillar's own book 'Poems printed by John Wilson of Kilmarnock in 1789.