Mary Hamilton
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1968.303.A4
Original Tape ID
Summary
This song describes the tale of one of the four Maries who served Queen Mary [Queen of Scots]. The previous night she had dressed the queen but her "only reward" is to be hanged in Edinburgh. She describes how she will be blindfolded and says that her parents will not be informed of what has really happened to her, but told instead that she is away ower the sea. She challenges "all o ye sailors bold" not to tell her parents of her fate, but "to say I'm a-coming hame". The reason for her execution is not explained in the song.
Item Notes
5 verses plus repeat of first verse. Guitar accompaniment.
This is a fairly standard, shortened version of the longer ballad about Mary Queen of Scots' maid, said to have been sent to the gallows for the killing of her illegitimate child.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 2, pp. 36-38, no. 195, and accompanying notes pp. 519-520
Recording Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - Portree
Island - Skye
Village/Place - Braes
Item Location
County - Midlothian
Parish - Edinburgh
Village/Place - Edinburgh
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good