Annotation:Earl of Lauderdale (The)

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 EARL OF LAUDERDALE. Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Hunter): AB (Athole, Gow, Martin): AAB (Kerr). The Earls of Lauderdale are the Maitlands, a Scottish family with an a long and illustrious pedigree. The tune probably honors James Maitland (1759-1839), the 8th Earl of Lauderdale, one of sixteen Scottish peers elected to the House of Lords. Maitland originally represented the seat of Malmesbury for Fox in Parliament, moving to Lords when he succeeded to the Earldom in 1789. He was liberal in his views and a founder of the 'Friends of the People'. In 1806 Maitland was created a Baron of the United Kingdom, and was a Keeper of the Great Seal. During the Napoleonic era he undertook a diplomatic mission to France to attempt to secure a peace settlement, but in this he was unsuccessful. The poet Robert Burns met Maitland before his succession to the Earldom, and said in a letter of 1787 that he met Maitland and his brother at breakfast and found them "exceedingly easy, accessible, agreeable fellows; and seemingly pretty clever." When Burns met Maitland, his principle dwelling was Lauderdale House, lying at the end of Dunbar's High Street. The original house was built c. 1740 but was purchased by later purchased by James when the owners fell on hard times; he then commissioned the great architect Robert Adam (1728-92) to remodel and extend it. When Robert died it was finished by his younger brother. Lauderdale House ceased to be a family dwelling in the mid-1800's and was used as a military headquarters. At present the house has been converted and divided into private apartments.  Source for notated version: Hector MacAndrew [Martin].

 Printed sources: Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 250. Gow (Third Collection of Niel Gow's Reels), 1792; p. 19 (3rd ed.). Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 196. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; Set 16, No. 2, p. 11. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 123. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 176.  Recorded sources:

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