Annotation:Miss Duff of Muirton’s Reel
X:1 T:Miss Duff of Muirton's Reel M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Aird – Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 4 (1796, No. 199, p. 74) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G c|BGGA FGAc|BGGA gdcB|cABg AGFD|EcAF G2G:|| d|gdgb fgaf|gabg afdf|gdbd fdad|fgaaf g2g2| dgbd cfac|BdgB DAcA|GBdB cAec|EcAF G2G||
MISS DUFF OF MUIRTON'S REEL. Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. "Miss Duff of Muirton's Reel" was entered into the large 19th century music manuscript collection[1](No. 477, p. 131) of prosperous dairy farmer, miller, sometime printer and bookbinder, and fiddler James Barry (1819-1906) of Six Mile Brook, Pictou County, northern Nova Scotia. Barry is known to have had access some of Aird's publications and to have copied a number of tunes from them into his own music ms. collection.
There are several 'Miss Duffs' in the extended family of the Duffs of Muirton/Muirtown who might be the individual for whom the tune is named. It is interesting to note that in January, 1788, Sir Archibald Grant, fourth Baronet of Monymusk married a Duff descendent, Mary, who was the only child of Major John Forbes of Newe and Anne Duff of Muirton (see notes for the reel "Money Musk" for more information).
