Elizabeth Grant

Elizabeth Grant (1745-1814)

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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 possession the original words for Roy's Wife by "the lady who composed it." 

 The song may be based on a true story. John Roy of Aldivalloch was married to Isobel Stewart on 21 February 1727, who was much younger. Isobel would run away with David Gordon of Kirktown and would be chased over the Braes of Balloch by Roy. Isobel would be caught and brought back to Aldivalloch.  The Banffshire Journal in January 1860 would say that the song had been made by a shoemaker living in the neighbourhood of Aldivalloch.

The tune would be carried across the Atlantic to Canada and America. Horace "Hod" Case,  fiddler and journalist from Honeoye, Ontario County, New York, would maintain diaries from about 1868 to 1940. In his entry for October 8, 1878, Case noted:

...Ike Benson and I played to a dance [at Hank Trafton's] Irish Trot danced for first time in the state I think. Mrs. Trafton called it. "Roy’s wife" an old Scotch ballad is the tune we played.

Elizabeth wrote the words The Rising of the Lark. The melody would be borrowed by Felicia Hemans who wrote Owen Glyndyr's War Song in 1870s, about the Welsh hero from 1400, who claiming  descent from the princes of Powys raised revolt against the English rulers of Wales. For interest the lyrics of War Song are featured after The Rising of the Lark.

Roy's wife of Aldivalloch

Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat ye how she cheated me,
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?

She vow'd, she swore she wad be mine;
She said she lo'ed me best of onie;
But O the fickle, faithless quean,
She's ta'en the carle and left her Johnnie!
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat ye how she cheated me,
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?

O' she was a canty queen,
And weel could dance the Highland walloch;
How happy I had she been mine,
Or I been Roy of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat ye how she cheated me,
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?

Her hair sae fair,
Her e'en sae clear,
Her wee bit mou' sae sweet and bonnie,
To me she ever will be dear,
Tho she's forever left her Johnnie.
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat ye how she cheated me,
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?

The Rising of the Lark

See, O see the breaking day,
How the dew drop decks the thorn,
Hov'ring low the skylarks lay,
Long preluding meets the morn,
Hark! the liquid notes awake anew,
Rising sweeter with the rising dew,
Rising sweeter with the rising dew.

Come, my love, and drink the sound,
Ere the dazzling sun appears;
While the drooping flow'ret round
Bends with nature's early tears,
Poising, as she mounts with humid wings,
Still above her lowly nest she sings,
O'er her lowly nest she sings.

Now the dappled clouds among,
Sweet and clear ascends the lay;
Come before the plumy throng,
Wake to hail the king of day!
Warbling louder still, she mounts alone,
Near and nearer to his amber throne.
Nearer to his amber throne.

See the blazing gates unfold,
See his radiant head appear!
Through yon op'ning clouds of gold
Still the less'ning note we hear.
Sinking softly with the sinking strain
See her seek her lowly nest again,
See her seek her nest again.

Owen Glyndyr's War Song

Saw ye the blazing star?
The Heav'ns looked down on Freedom's war
And lit her torch on high!
Bright on the Dragon crest
It tells that glory's wing shall rest
When warriors meet to die!
Let Earth's pale Tyrants read despair
And vengeance in its flame;
Hail ye, my Bards, the omen fair
Of Conquest and of Fame,
And swell the rushing mountain air
With songs to Glyndyr's name!

At the dead hour of night,
Marked ye how each majestic height
Burn'd in its awful beams?
Red shone th' eternal snows,
And all the land, as bright it rose,
Was full of glorious dreams!
Oh! eagle of the battles, rise,
The hope of Gwyned wakes;
It is your banner in the skies
Thro' each dark cloud that breaks,
And mantles with triumphal dyes
Your thousand hills and lakes.

A sound is on the breeze,
A murmur as of swelling seas;
The Saxon on his way.
Lo! spear and shield and lance
From Deva's waves with lightning glance
Reflected to the ay.
But who the torrent wave compels
A conqueror's chain to bear?
Let those who wake the soul that dwells
On our free winds, beware;
The greenest and the loveliest dells
May be the Lion's lair!