Annotation:Mrs. Hamilton of Bargenny

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MRS. HAMILTON OF BARGENNY. Scottish, Reel (cut time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest appearance of this tune in print in Ayrshire fiddler-composer biography:John Riddell's 1766 first collection (p. 44), printed in Edinburgh by Robert Bremner. See also another tune for the family composed by Riddell, "Mr. Hamilton of Bargenny's Minuet," composed for John Hamilton (1715-1796) a Scottish MP in the British Parliament at the time Riddell published his first collection (1766). Born Robert Dalrymple, he changed his name to Hamilton when he inherited the estate of Bargenny in 1736 from the former Lord Bargenny, whose name was Hamilton. John married Lady Anne Wemyss, 3rd daughter of James, 4th Earl of Wemyss, but they remained childless. In 1772 he married Margaret, 3rd daughter of Alexander Montgomery, Esq. of Eglinton, later Earl of Eglinton. Possibly it is Lady Anne Wemyss who is the subject of the title (but why "Mrs" in stead of "Lady"?). Riddell also composed "Miss Peggy Montgomerie," a title that may refer to Margaret Montgomery, John's second wife.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Riddell (Collection of Scots Reels, Minuets, &c.), 1782; p. 44.

Recorded sources:



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