Annotation:Lady Betty Cochran's Strathspey

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X:1 T:Lady Betty Cochran's Strathspey M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey B:Joshua Campbell – A Collection of New Reels & Highland Strathspeys (Glasgow, 1789, p. 48) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F A|C<F (A/B/c/A/) Tf2 (c>f)|Td(c/B/) (cF) E<GG>B|A(G/F/) (A/c/f/c/) T(dc/B/) (c/A/G/F/)|(E/F/G/A/) (B/d/c/B/) TAFF:| e|T(f/e/f/g/) (f>c) Ta(g/f/) (gc)|(B/d/f) (A>c) (Bd)(gb)|T(a/g/a/g/) (f>c) (d<f) (d/c/B/A/)|(B<G)(c>B) TA>Ffe| Tf/e/f/g/ (f>c) (b/a/g/f/) (g>c)|(e/d/c/B/) (b/a/g/f/) (cd/_e/)|(d/c/)d/f/ (b>d) T(c/A/)c/f/ (a/c/)A/c/|T(B/A/B/d/) T(c>B) TAFF||

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LADY BETTY COCHRAN'S STRATHSPEY. Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. A version of "Lady Betty Cochrane's Reel (3)" (or vice-versa), attributed to biography:Robert Mackintosh. Patrick Heron of Heron (1736-1803) married Lady Elizabeth Cochrane (1745-1811), daughter of the 8th Earl of Dundonald (whose estate of Kerroughtree was near Galloway, Ayr), in 1775. Patrick [1] was an MP for Kirkcudbright in the decade before his death, and poet Robert Burns wrote some satirical campaign verses to aid his candidacies. A period geographical survey had this short note about the estate: “On the east side of the [River] Cree stands the ancient village of Minnigaff. Near it is Kirrochtree, the elegant seat of Mr. Heron of Heron. In this estate, and that of Mochramore adjoining, there are veins of lead, which have been worked for many years” (Robert Heron, Scotland Delineated: Or, a Geographical Description of Every Shire, 1799). Burns originally set a song (“Here is the Glen”) to one of Lady Elizabeth (Cochrane) Heron’s airs. Writing to his publisher, Thomson, Burns said, “I got an air, pretty enough, composed by Lady Elizabeth Heron of Heron, which she calls ‘The Banks of the Cree’. Cree is a beautiful, romantic stream, and, as her ladyship is a particular friend of mine, I have written the following song to it.” Thomson did not like the tune, however, and, after Burns’ death set the verses to “Flowers of Edinburgh (1).” Patrick and Elizabeth had only one daughter who lived past adolescence, the youngest having died at Madeira in 1800. The eldest, Stuart Mary (1777-1856), married Sir John-Shaw-Heron Maxwell of Springkell, Co. Dumfries, in 1802. Stuart-Mary was born and died in the family seat of Kerroughtree (various spellings exist). See also "Miss Heron."