Annotation:Mrs. Hepburn of Clerkington's Reel
X:1 T:Mrs. Hepburn of Clerkington's Reel M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:John French – Collection of New Strathspeys, Reels, etc. (1801) N:Dedicated to Mrs. Boswell of Auchinleck N:Published by Gow & Shepherd, “for behoof of Mr. French’s widow and children.” K:Dmix A|d2 (AG) FDAF|Ec-cG ECC^c|d2 (AG) FDAF|EcGE FD-D:| |:d|Adfd adfd|Gcec gcec|1 Adfd adfd|eg^ce dD-D:||2 dfeg fagb|afe^c dfef||
MRS. HEPBURN OF CLERKINGTON'S REEL. Scottish, Reel. D Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. The reel is attributed to fiddler-composer Biography:John French (1752–1803) of Cumnock, Ayrshire. Robert Hepburn (c. 1742–1798) of Clerkington was an advocate by profession, and married Isabella Mitchelson, the union producing at least eight children. James Boswell of Auchinlech (Dr. Johnston's biographer) knew Isabella's father, John Mitchelson, and went to his house to await Hepburn (with whom he had business) and his wife, in October, 1762. As he recorded in his journal:
I was somewhat hurt to see a young fellow of twenty, possessed of twelve hundred a year, tied down to a woman elder than himself, not pretty and low bred.
