Annotation:Miss Henderson of Stempster's Reel
X:1 T:Miss Henderson of Stempster's Reel M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel N:”Old” B:Donald Grant – Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Jigs &c. (1820-21, p. 20) B:The volume was perhaps first issued c. 1790, from a penciled note in a copy. N:The collection was dedicated to Mrs. Col. Grant of Grant (“Sir James and N:Lady Grant of Grant”). S:https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/105814046 Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E|(ag)(ag) aece|fgag Tf2e2|aece fdBd|ceGB A2A2:| EAcA Bcd2|ceae (gf)eg|aece fdBd|cABG A2A2S:|
MISS HENDERSON OF STEMPSTER'S REEL. Scottish, Reel (cut time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "Miss Henderson of Stempster" is contained in Elgin fiddler-composer biography:Donald Grant's Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Jigs &c. (1820-21), where it is marked as "Old". 'Old' being a relative term, the can be no older than 1750, at least with the 'Miss Henderson' title, for in that year David Henderson, who previously occupied the farm of Gerston, purchased Stemster from Sir Benjamin Sinclair. David married Cecilia, daughter of William Honyman of Gremsay, and the couple had four sons and three daughters; two of the latter married clergymen and one died unmarried. David's son and heir, Alexander Henderson of Stempster, had a number of children, including four daughters. If the tune was 'old' in 1820, then Miss Henderson of Stempson was probably one of David Henderson's daughters.
