Annotation:Mrs. Oswald of Auchincruive (1)

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MRS. OSWALD OF AUCHINCRUIVE [1]. Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. There are two possible persons who he may have referred to in his title. The first was Mary Ramsay, the wife of Richard Oswald, a merchant from London and a commissioner in Paris for peace negotiations that concluded the American War of Independence. He bought the estate of Auchincruive, St. Quivox, Ayrshire, in 1764. After his death in 1784, his widow Mary remained at Auchincruive until her death in London in 1788. The estate then passed to their son, Richard Alexander Oswald, a government contractor during the American War (unimpressed, Robert Burns called him a 'plunderer of armies'). In 1793 Richard married Louisa "Lucy" Johnston (c. 1760-1797), a celebrated and accomplished beauty (for whom see note for “Miss Johnston of Hilton's Fancy”) whose portrait was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn, and for whom Robert Burns wrote a song, "O, Wat ye Wha’s in Yon Town."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 182.

Recorded sources:

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