A stool used by Robert Burns

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

21767

Title

A stool used by Robert Burns

Description

Made of oakwood, the stool has a circular seat and three legs with streches screwed through.

Size

335 X 650 mm

Type

Wood

Location

Writers' Museum

The stool is from William Smellie's printing office, used by Robert Burns during the early months of 1787, while he was correcting proofs of the Edinburgh edition of his poems.
William Smellie's son, Alexander stated in 'memoirs of the life, writings and correspondence of 'William Smelie' published in 1811 that 'There was a particular stool in the office which Burns uniformly occupied while correcting his proof sheets; as he would not sit on any other, it always bore the name of Burns' stool. In 1884 it was still in the office, and in the same situation where it was when Burns sat on it.'

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