John Lewars

Association with Robert Burns Burns, ten years the senior of Lewars, described Lewars as ".. a particular friend of mine" and " .. a young man of uncommon merit".

It is likely that Burns composed the following verses in 1796 in response to one of Lewars' love affairs. 'Woods' is unidentified, although John Syme (1755 - 1831) - a mutual friend, wrote on the poet's holograph manuscript that she was an assistant to Miss McMurdo at a local girls boarding school. The poem has Lewars bewitched by the young women and his heart is stolen and Burns links this the heroines supernatural powers. Lewars was also an admirer of Jean Lorimer, Burns's 'Chloris'.

Burns added a comment "A poor man ruined and undone by Robbery and Murder. Being an awful WARNING to the young men of this age, how they look well to themselves in this dangerous, terrible WORLD."

The Hue and Cry of John Lewars

Lewars also wrote to William Nicol to inform him of Burns's death. Nicol responded at length after a delay, caused by illness.

The Jean Murdoch and Janet Anderson Incident On 17 May 1792 Lewars and Robert Burns had been drinking into the early hours and decided to clear their heads with a walk beside the Nith. They walked along the Waterside footpath, now Waterloo Street in Dumfries. This path passed doors used by domestic servants and tradesmen. At 5am Jean Murdoch, servant to Wellwood Maxwell was washing clothes with Janet Anderson in a wash house at the foot of Maxwell's garden. Burns, who had been standing in the lane, asked the women who the house owner was and managed to get Lewars into the lane, begging the women not to report what had happened. The case was abandoned and Lewars afterwards led a blameless and totally respectable life.

Lewars joined Robert Burns in the ranks of the Royal Dumfries Volunteers, enrolling at their second meeting in January 1795. John Syme, Burns and Lewars were part of the Second Company of the volunteers.

Career The Rosamond Incident and Excise Duties Lewars, aged twenty, joined the Excise as a gauger at Linlithgoe on 26 December 1789. This 100 ton schooner was used by smugglers along the shallow waters of the Solway and after becoming grounded Lewars and Crawford were dispatched to Dumfries to fetch assistance in the form of more dragoons. Joseph Train is said to have obtained documents pertaining to the incident from Lewars' widow and he passed them to Sir Walter Scott. Those written by Lewars detailing the carronade story have not been recovered however a search of the Abbotsford archives revealed a ship's inventory written by Lewars, listing the sails, spars, rigging and furnishings, with a brief summary of the amounts realised in the auction.

When Burns was serving as an Acting Supervisor of Excise Lewars covered Burns stead and Adam Stobie covered Lewars' division.

Lewars in circa April 1792 appeared on a list of Excise Officers that were ranked as being above average ability. Lewars colleagues, Robert Burns, Walter Crawford and William Penn were also annotated as belonging to this category.

In 1793 Walter Crawford was divorced by his wife and testimony about his promiscuity was given by Lewars and a colleague, John Rankine.

After leaving the Excise Lewars then returned, apparently as a relief supervisor at Kincardine on Forth in 1817, Linlithgow in 1817, Dunkeld in 1818, Inverary in 1818, Montrose in 1819 and finally Dumfries from 1820 to 1824 when he retired on a pension of £160 per annum. A plan of the River Nith dated 1808 is held by National Library of Scotland.