Robert Ainslie (1766–1838) was a Scottish lawyer, and one of Robert Burns's long-term friends from his Edinburgh days. He was probably the closest confidant of Burns, whom he met first at a Masonic or Crochallan Fencibles event. Ainslie accompanied the poet on the first part of his Border Tour. Robert's father, also Robert, was a lawyer a bailie at Duns and a land-steward on Lord Douglas's Berwickshire estates. Robert married Jean Cunningham on 22 December 1798.
Life and character
He was the son of Robert Ainslie and his wife Magdeline Elliot of Woolie, described by Burns as "an excellent, sensible, cheerful, amicable old woman"; he was born at Berrywell House near Duns in 1766.
Whitelaw Ainslie (born 1763) was a younger brother. Other siblings were Douglas b. 23.10.1769 (died in infancy), Douglas b. 06.05.1771, James b. circa 1772 and one sister Rachael, b. 19.03.1768. She was the subject of a poetic ditty from Burns after she had listened to a sermon by Dr Bowmaker the parish minister. Writing in pencil on the blank leaf of her bible that "Fair maid, you need not take the hint, nor idle text pursue: 'twas guilty sinners that he meant, not angels such as you." He hoped to set her mind at ease after the minister's sermon on the terrors of hellfire for the sinner and her searching her bible for the text. He is reported to have added that the minister was referring to him, adding that "I am found out wherever I go."
In 1788 Ainslie became a Writer to the Signet, aged only 22, after Samuel Mitchelson died. He had joined Carruber's Close on the north side of High Street, Edinburgh, Mitchelson's law office, as law student. Ainslie's own office as a Writer to the Signet was in the Edinburgh New Town at Hill Street; and he also had a country estate at Edingham in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.
Robert Heron said of Ainslie that he was "[...] a gentleman of the purest and most correct manners, who was accustomed sometimes to soothe the toils of a laborious profession, by an occasional converse with polite literature, and with general science." Hogg spoke of him as "honest Ainslie", commenting that one his failings was constitutional sleepiness, the irresistibility of which Hogg illustrated by stating that he has "seen him fall fast asleep in the blue parlour at Ambrose's, with North in the chair and myself croupier." In later life he became an Elder of the Church of Scotland.
He took on Agnes McLehose's son Andrew as an apprentice; he later became a Writer to the Signet.
Death
Ainslie died in 1838, aged 71, in Canongate. Edinburgh. He is buried in St. Cuthbert's Churchyard. His memorial inscription reads:
Sacred to the memory of Robert Ainslie, Writer to the Signet who was born at Berrywell near Duns on 13th. January 1767 and died at Edinburgh on 11th. April 1838 in the 72nd. year of his age. This memorial is erected by his disconsolate widow, Isabella Munro, daughter of the late Rev. Robert Munro, Ullapool Ross-shire.
Association with Robert Burns
Dugald Stewart commented that Burns was keeping "not very select society". He meant that Alexander Cunningham, Peter Hill, Robert Ainslie and others in Burns's circle, while respectable, were not of the literati. Ainslie, training to be a lawyer, became a close friend of both Cunningham and Burns; a common enjoyment of wine, women and Burns's songs, together with membership of the Freemasons and the Crochallan Fencibles drew Burns and Ainslie into each other's company in January 1787, and a long friendship was established. As a student Ainslie lived at No.6, St James's Square in Edinburgh and his near neighbours were George Thomson the music publisher, the artist John Beugo, the engraver and Alexander Nasmyth the painter, all of whom were more or less closely associated with Burns's career. Ainslie was 21, seven years younger than Burns, when they met. He is listed as a subscriber to two copies in Burns's Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect of 1787.
One day when Burns visited, Ainslie suggested that they spend the afternoon sharing a bottle of port. Burns retorted that to waste a beautiful afternoon dozing under the influence would be insufferable. The two men walked over Arthur's Seat. On their return they ate and had tea together and Ainslie commented that never had Burns been more instructive, amusing and such good company.