Rosie Anderson
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1952.52.1
Original Tape ID
Summary
A provost's son, Hay Marshall, courted and married Rosie Anderson. This song describes how she was unfaithful to him with Lord Elgin, and the consequences of this.
Item Notes
Text transcribed in the School of Scottish Studies. 18 verses.
It is interesting to note that the singer pronounces 'guide' as 'gade', possibly to fit the rhyme of the song in places.
This version is unusual in that, unlike most of the twelve other versions in the Greig-Duncan Folksong Collection, Rosie is sent to her mother in Edinburgh, not London. However the singer says the officer she meets leaves her in London. The song is based on historical fact. Thomas Hay Marshall belonged to one of Perth's eminent eighteenth century families and is generally credited with the building of Perth's new town. Lord Elgin is said to have been subsequently the British Ambassador at Constantinople, and brought the Elgin Marbles to the British Museum. Cf. Ord, 'Bothy Songs and Ballads' p. 91, and 'Greig-Duncan Folksong Collection' vol 7, no. 1462, where a full historical account is given.
Item Subject/Person
Hay Marshall, Thomas; Anderson, Rosie; Elgin, Lord
Recording Location
County - Angus
Parish - Arbroath and St Vigeans
Village/Place - Arbroath
Item Location
County - Perthshire
Parish - Perth
Village/Place - Perth
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good