Annotation:Miss Montgomerie of Skelmorlie
X:1 T:Miss Montgomerie of Skelmorlie M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey S:MacDonald – 3rd Collection of Strathspey Reels (c. 1792) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F f | c<F Tc>A G>AB>d | c<F Tc>A c>df>a | fdTc>A G>AB>d | cFc>A {A}F2F :|| f | F(ff>)a g>fga | F(ff>)a f>afc | d>fTc>A G>AB>d | c<FcA F2 F>f | F<(ff)a Tg>fga | F(ff>)a f<afc | d>fTc>A G>AB>d | Ff/g/ af {e}f2 fd ||
MISS MONTGOMERIE OF SKELMORLIE. Scottish, Strathspey. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The melody appears in Malcolm McDonald's c. 1792 3rd collection, dedicated to Miss Drummond of Perth. Skelmorei is in North Ayrshire, on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Castle Skelmorie was formerly the seat and stronghold of the Montgomery Clan. Miss Montgomerie was perhaps one of the daughters of Hugh Montgomery (1739-1819), the 12th Earl of Eglinton, who married his cousin Eleonora, daughter of Robert Hamilton of Bourtreehill, Ayrshire. They had three sons and three daughters; Mary died young, while Jane married Edward Archibald Hamilton of Blackhouse. Lillias (d. 1845) was married twice, first to Robert Dundas Macqueen of Braxfield, and secondly to Richard Alexander Oswald of Auchincruive the 'wealthy young Richard' of Burns's 'Election Day'. [Oswald's first wife was the "incomparable" Lucy Johnson, for whom see Annotation:Miss Johnston of Hilton's Fancy).
The tune also appears in the c. 1780-1804 music manuscript collection of fiddle John Fife, probably from Perthshire, who may also have made entries at sea (there are references to battles in the Caribbean and Mediterranean in the ms.).