[1] John, the younger son, born in Sorn parish, was educated at Newmilns school having been sent to live their with friends of the family.

[2] He finally married Jenny or Janet Surgeoner at Netherplace in Mauchline on 5 August 1791, having fathered an illegitimate daughter with her in November 1785.

[1] He abandoned Jenny having taken a job in November 1785 at Edinburgh with William Wilson, a writer to the signet, an act that Burns strongly disapproved of.

[6] After the death of William Wilson in July 1787 he shortly after returned to Mauchline and a letter shows that he was working as a lawyer or writer in the town by 7 September 1787.

[1] Their daughter became Mrs. Alexander who was the source of a story that Robert and Jean were married in the Loudoun Street hostelry of John Ronald, publican and carrier.

[4][13] Burns was the Perpetual President; James Smith the Pocurator Fiscal; William Hunter the Messenger at Arms and Richmond the Clerk of the Court.

The complete text was printed on 20 December 1786 in the Caledonian Mercury, the first time that a poem by Robert Burns had appeared in a newspaper.

[18][19] When Burns first arrived in Edinburgh he suffered from a headache and stomach complaint to such an extent that he spent much of his time in bed and Richmond would read to him until he fell asleep.

[14] Richmond wrote an article for the Train Manuscript which recorded how Burns's friends had informed him of Mary Campbell's infidelity with James Montgomerie of Coilsfield House, brother to the Earl of Eglinton.

[22][23] In December 1817 Richmond was interviewed by Mr. Grierson and related that James Montgomerie and Mary Campbell met frequently in the 'Elbow', a small Mauchline ale house.

Burns presented Richmond with a silver mounted snuffbox made with wood taken from the rafters of the Auld Alloway Kirk.

[30] In February 1786 Burns wrote to his friend Richmond saying "My chief patron is Mr Aiken in Ayr who is pleased to express great approbation of my works".

On 9 July 1786 he shared with Richmond the news that "I have waited on Armour since her return home, not by -- from any the least view of reconciliation, but merely to ask for her health; and to you I will confess it, from a foolish, hankering fondness very ill-plac'd Indeed.

[34] By 1 September Burns also wrote that he felt that the warrant for his arrest would not be acted upon and that having missed 'The Nancy' he would take 'The Bell' to Jamaica, a ship whose master was Captain Cathcart.

[37] 7 July 1787 saw Burns writing that "I have lately been rambling over by Dumbarton and Inverary, and running a drunken race on the side of Loch Lomond with a Wild Highlandman; his horse, which had never known the ornaments of iron or leather, zigzagged across before my old spavin'd hunter, whose name is Jenny Geddes, and down came the Highlandman, horse and all, and down came Jenny and my Bardship; so I have got such a skinful of bruises and wounds, that I shall at least be four weeks before I dare venture on my journey to Edinburgh".

[38] I beg you will write me by post immediately on receipt of this, and let know the news of Armour's family, if the world begin to talk of Jean's appearance any way".