Annotation:Miss Wedderburn Colvill’s Favorite

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MISS WEDDERBURN COLVILL'S FAVORITE. Scottish, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Composed by biography:William Shepherd, an Edinburgh musician and music teacher who partnered with Nathaniel Gow in the music publishing firm of Gow & Shepherd in the 1790's. The title may refer to Joan Wedderburn-Colville (1786–1871), daughter of James Wedderburn-Colville and Isabella Blackburn. James, an unlicensed physician, fled to Jamaica in the aftermath of the Jacobit uprising, and became a wealthy slave-owner and sugar planter. He returned to the restored family estate of Inverest in 1773 and married. He and Isabella had five children, but the only female to have survived was Joan, who eventually married in 1807 Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk. Lord Auckland wrote to Lord Granville, "Lord Selkirk is not much to be admired for either his political conduct or for his eloquence, but he is amiable and good in private life, and therefore I am glad that he is to marry Miss Wedderburn, the sister and particular friend of my Louisa."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Shepherd (Second Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1800.

Recorded sources:




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