John Lewars (1769–1826) was an excise officer and land surveyor. He was one of Robert Burns's colleagues and friends during his Nithsdale and Dumfries days. Lewars moved with his sister Jessie Lewars in around 1793 to a house in Millhole Brae (now Burns Street) that lay immediately opposite that of Robert Burns in Dumfries. Jessie Lewars was a very close Burns family friend and helped the family by nursing Robert in the days leading up to his death, doing the domestic chores and caring for the children.

John's father, also John Lewars, had been a supervisor of excise in Dumfries until his death on 22 April 1789. Mary and Jessie were the sisters of John Lewars junior. Mary married a local builder, William Hyslop.

In 1799 Lewars married Barbara Howe of Gretna and the couple had two children.

Lewars died at Ryedale Cottage, Troqueer, aged 57. He was buried in St Michael's cemetery in Dumfries, close to the original burial place of Robert Burns, later the lair of Mrs Agnes Eleanor Perochon, daughter of Frances Dunlop.

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."

After Robert Burns's death Lewars undertook many of the essential tasks, writing letters to friends and relatives informing them of the poet's death.