Annotation:Duchess of Bedford's Reel (1)
Tune properties and standard notation
DUCHESS OF BEDFORD. Scottish, Reel. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCD. The melody is a reel-time setting of fiddle-composer William Marshall's "Lady Georgina Gordon's Strathspey". The strathspey was later (1806) printed by the Gows under the title "Duchess of Manchester's Strathspey", where it appears they confused the Gordon daughters, for it was Susan and not Georgiana who married the Duke of Manchester.
The Duchess of Bedford probably refers to Georgiana (d. 1853), daughter of the Duke of Gordon (William Marshall's employer and patron), who became the second wife of the John, 6th Duke of Bedford (1792-1878). Her portrait was painted several times by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873). According to Ormond the Duke was Landseer's "single most important early patron, a warm admirer of his art, and a great personal friend. His much younger second wife [portrayed in the painting and engraving], Georgiana, a daughter of the Duke of Gordon, was a large and exuberant character, doted on by her husband, but deeply resented by the children of his first marriage." Curiously, Bedford's first wife was also named Georgiana. See note for "Duchess of Bedford's Strathspey (The)" for more.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 213.
Recorded sources: Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - "Fire and Grace" (2004).