Annotation:Mr. Alexander Montgomerie

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MR. ALEXANDER MONTGOMERIE. Scottish, Reel (cut time). G Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest appearance of this tune in print in Ayrshire fiddler-composer [biography:John Riddell]]'s 1766 first collection (p. 59), printed in Edinburgh by Robert Bremner. The reel also appears in his second collection of 1782, which was an expansion and elaboration of his first collection, although the latter was printed in Glasgow by John Aird.

While there are certainly a good number of Alexander Montgomerie's/Montgomerys to choose from, the title probably refers to Alexander Montgomerie (1719-1783), 4th Bart. of Coylsfield (often given as Coilsfield), based on the other tunes in Riddell's collection for members or relatives of that family. Alexander in 1738 married Lilias Montgomery, daughter of Sir Robert Montgomery, 5th Bart. of Skelmorelie, and they had several children, among them Hugh Montgomerie, 12 Earl of Eglinton, Lord Ardrossan.

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