[1] His first and middle name was added in honour of James Cunningham, 14th Earl of Glencairn, Robert's friend, patron and mentor.

[3] In late spring 1793 they made the move to a larger house in Millhole Brae (Burns Street), where James's mother lived for the remainder of her life following his father's death in 1796.

James went to Christ's Hospital from 1802 to 1809, entering at the age of eight, "his mother having been left with a family of four children and without sufficient means for their support".

[8] James attended the East India Company Military Seminary, joining in 1815 the Bengal Presidency's army as an Ensign (Second Lieutenant).

He had achieved the rank of Captain by 28 June 1817, attached to the Third Native Infantry Regiment as a Deputy Assistant Commissary.

[11] James joined the East India Company's Service as a cadet aged 16 in the 15th Bengal Native Infantry.

James hoped to become an interpreter to the battalion or even to gain a position in the Commissariat, however in a letter from Jean Armour to Lady Hastings she states "A few days ago I had a letter from him dated in April in which he regrets deeply your Ladyship's leaving India – to this he ascribes his having been forgotten – and as the vacancies in the department are filled up, he has lost his hopes of advancement.

[12] Another letter to Lady Hastings on 16 July 1818 was written in a more positive tone, indicating that Jean had met with the marchioness in Dumfries and suggesting that matters had been put right.

[1] Following a visit home to Scotland, in 1833 he returned to India and was appointed Judge and Collector at Cahar in southern Assam.

They had children Jeanie Isabella and Robert who died in childhood and a daughter Sarah, born in Neemuch on 2 November 1821.

[11] A daughter Ann or Annie was born to James and his second wife Mary Becket on 21 September 1830 at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.

[6][11] and then to Berkely Street in Cheltenham where he lived with his brother, the widower William Nicol Burns and his daughters Annie and Sarah.

They sadly refused to meet Robert, their nephew, their father's natural son by Elizabeth 'Betty' Burns at the festival.

"[1] On 29 October 1794 Robert wrote again to Frances Dunlop "I would without hesitation have crossed the country to wait on you, but for one circumstance – a week ago I gave my little James the small-pox & he is just beginning to sicken.

"[28] On 16 July 1818 Jean wrote to James, enclosing a silver watch as an engagement present, kindly taken to India by Lady Hastings.

[23] Sarah wrote on 27 October 1893 from Cheltenham to Dr. Duncan McNaught, editor of the Robert Burns Federation's 'Burns Chronicle' saying: "I was only 12 years old at my grandmother's death (ie Jean Armour's) consequently I have little recollection of incidents or anecdotes about my grandfather... My father often said it was disgraceful the statements made out by people who lived in the Poet's time, continuing, as they did, so much falsehood and exaggeration of the events of his life.