Annotation:Miss Mary Gordon of Braid
MISS MARY GORDON OF BRAID. AKA and see "Mrs. Gordon of Baird." Scottish, Jig (6/8 time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The jig "Miss Mary Gordon of Braid" was published by the Edinburgh publishing firm of Nathaniel Gow and William Shepherd in a volume entitled A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspey Reels, Marches, Quick Steps &c. (1797, p. 2), "by Ladies resident in a remote part of the Highlands of Scotland, as corrected by Nath. Gow." Unfortunately, the composers names are not given. The Leeds antiquarian Frank Kidson (1854–1926) penciled a note in his copy of the volume that the composers were, or included, “the Misses Whyte,” The Leeds antiquarian Frank Kidson (1854–1926) penciled a note in his copy of the volume that the composers were, or included, “the Misses Whyte,” 20th century musician and collector J. Murdoch Henderson identified the ladies as 'the Misses White of Brockley', Morayshire, east Highlands.
Mary Gordon of Braid was one of the daughters of Charles Gordon of Braid, a merchant with interests in Edinburgh and property and trade in Tobago. Charles married Joanna "Jackie" Trotter in November, 1775, and the couple had three sons and three daughters. Mary Steel Gordon died 13th July 1833.
See Cape Breton versions under title "Mrs. Gordon of Baird." See also another tune in the Gow & Shepherd volume for a family member, "Miss Gordon of Braid."