Biography

Elizabeth Jane Ross was born on the 17th of September 1789. Her father, Thomas, from Fort William, was in the army, and her mother was a MacLeod of Raasay, named Isabel Ross. Elizabeth had a younger sister named after their mother. Thomas was badly injured in India, and Elizabeth's sister was born after he passed away. It is unknown what happened to their mother, but the two young sisters returned from India as orphans. In 1805, their maternal uncle, James MacLeod, Laird of Raasay, and his wife, Flora, adopted them. James had a great interest in music and was a good fiddle player. Elizabeth was sent to Mary Erskine's School in Edinburgh where she received music instruction. She began collecting tunes and songs and she played pipe music on the piano, music she learned from John MacKay, Iain mac Ruairidh, piper to MacLeod of Raasay. She also played the harp. Her manuscript, with the tunes she collected without lyrics, is held at the School of Scottish Studies.

In 1814, the two sisters returned to India, probably to find husbands, and soon after both married. Isabel married first, and Elizabeth married Sir Charles D'Oyly in 1815. She was his second wife, and he was 18 years older than her. They didn't have any children but lived a very happy life together. Sir Charles was an accomplished artist and poet, and their home in Patna was a gathering place for European artists in India. When Sir Charles retired, they returned to Europe, initially living in England and later near Livorno in Italy. After her husband died in 1845, Elizabeth returned to England and lived at Steepleton House in Preston, Dorset.

Four of her Gaelic songs are to be found in the book An t-Òranaiche. A small book of her own, containing 10 songs, was published in Glasgow in 1875. Speaking about her songs on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, Gaelic scholar Professor John MacInnes said: "Although some modern scholars of Gaelic poetry argue that her songs are insignificant, anyone with respect for the old style of poetry would say there is something exceptionally fine, I think, in the songs of Lady D'Oyly."

Elizabeth Ross, Lady D'Oyly, died in England on the 1st of June 1875, aged 86.

We thank Meg Bateman and Peter Cooke for help with this information.

List of compositions

Thàinig an Gille Dubh Raoir don Bhaile Seo