McCabeGall

Elizabeth Grant (1745-1814) Free picture pixabay.com Elizabeth was the daughter of lieutenant Joseph Grant, of Colonel Montgomerie's regiment of highlanders. She was brought up at Aberlour, on the  Spey ,  Banffshire . She married Captain James Grant of Carron, near  Elchies  on the Spey in 1763. He would sell Carron in 1786 or 1787. He  died in 1790. Elizabeth's second husband was a doctor Mr. Murray. They lived in Bath until her death.  Next to nothing is known about Elizabeth, her life or her work. There are two surviving songs by Elizabeth; Roy's wife and The Rising of the Lark Roy's Wife  uses a traditional Scots melody, believed to have been taken from Ruffian's Rant, the air of which is attributed to Niel Gow, the famous Scottish piper and musician. The words were written by Elizabeth Grant (1745-1814), and to offer a rough estimation for when it was composed, Robert Burns wrote in a letter dated 1793 that he had in his pos...

Violet Jacob  (1 September 1863 – 9 September 1946) Baltic Street My dainty lass, lay you the blame Upon the richtfu’ heid; ‘Twas daft ill-luck that bigg’d yer hame The wrang side o’ the Tweed. Ye hae yer tocher a’ complete, Ye’re bonny as the rose, But I was born in Baltic Street, In Baltic Street, Montrose! Lang syne on mony a waefu’ nicht, Hie owre the sea’s distress, I’ve seen the great airms o’ the licht Swing oot frae Scurdyness; An’ prood, in sunny simmer blinks, When land-winds rase an’ fell, I’d flee my draigon on the links Wi’ callants like mysel’. Oh, Baltic Street is cauld an’ bare An’ mebbe no sae grand, But ye’ll feel the smell i’ the caller air O’ kippers on the land. ‘Twixt kirk an’ street the deid fowk bide, Their feet towards the sea, Ill neebours for a new-made bride, Gin ye come hame wi’ me. The steeple shades the kirkyaird grass, The seamen’s hidden banes, A dour-like kirk to an English lass Wha kens but English lanes; And when the haar, the winter ...

James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose  (1612 – 21 May 1650). Montrose was a Scottish nobleman, poet, soldier, viceroy and captain-general of Scotland. He initially joined the Covenanters during the Bishops' Wars in Scotland but would switch his support to King Charles I as Civil War spread throughout Britain. From 1644 to 1646, and again in 1650, he fought in the civil war in Scotland on behalf of the King. He would become known as the Great Montrose and earned a reputation as a skilled general during a brutal campaign in Scotland where he won several bloody battles. He was executed in Edinburgh on May 21, 1650. Less widely known however is the fact that Montrose was also a poet of considerable ability. Some 13 or so poems have been attributed to Montrose although no contemporary manuscripts of his work have survived. Three of his more well known poems deal respectively with love, revenge and death. "My dear and only Love" was composed to his wife Magdalene w...

Jean Elliot  (April 1727 – 29 March 1805) The Flowers of the Forest I’ve heard them lilting at our ewe-milking, Lasses a-lilting before the dawn of day; But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning- The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. At bughts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning, The lasses are lonely, and dowie, and wae; Nae daffin’, nae gabbin’, but sighing and sabbing, Ilk ane lifts her leglin and hies her away. In har’st, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, Bandsters are lyart, and runkled, and gray; At fair or at preaching, nae wooing nae fleeching- The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. At e’en, in the gloaming, nae younkers are roaming ‘Bout stacks wi’ the lasses at bogle to play; But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie- The Flowers of the Forest are weded away. Dool and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border! The English, for ance, by guile wan the day; The Flowers of the Forest, that fought aye the foremost, The ...

Adam Skirling (1719–1803) Adam Skirving, a local farmer wrote two songs called Celebration Day (1746), and Johnny Cope,  both about The Battle of Prestonpans, September 21, 1745. In both songs Skirving writes about the British General John Cope challenging Bonnie Prince Charlie to battle, and the Jacobites surprising and routing the British army. Johnnie Cope In 1745, a Hanoverian force, led by Sir John Cope challenged Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobites to meet for battle. Bonnie Prince Charlie reached Edinburgh then launched a early morning surprise attack at Prestonpans and the Hanoverians were routed in less than 15 minutes with Cope escaping. Johnnie Cope Chorus Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet? Or are your drums a-beating yet? If ye were wauking I wad wait To gang to the coals i' the morning. Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar: 'Charlie, meet me an' ye daur, An' I'll learn you the art o' war If you'll meet me i' the morning....