The son of a Swiss Jeweller, onetime soldier, militia paymaster, herald, artist and antiquary; Captain Francis Grose was, as Burns described "a cheerful-looking grig of an old fat fellow" whom Burns met when he was compiling a book on the Antiquities of Scotland.

Burns persuaded Grose to include Alloway Kirk in his book, which Grose did, on the condition that Burns supply a "witch tale" to accompany it. The witch tale that Burns composed was to become his best-loved tale, Tam O'Shanter.