Burns Tomb, Dumfries, 1818

An aquatint of Burns Mausoleum in St Michael's Churchyard, Dumfries made shortly after its completion.   In the years following his death, Robert Burns' admirers came to believe that his simple grave was an insufficient memorial to the poet. In 1813,  John Syme formed a committee and launched an appeal to build a mausoleum in his memory.   One of the subscribers was the Prince Regent, later George IV. After a public advertisement, over 50 designs were received and the plans of T F Hunt, a London architect were approved.   The statuary group within the mausoleum was designed and worked by Peter Turnerelli. It depicts Burns' own conception of "Coila", representing the Ayrshire district of Kyle where he was born, throwing her inspiring mantle over the poet as he works at the plough.