Child Ballads - Narrative

The Earl of Errol

1. 1. 'Kate Carnegie,' Campbell Manuscripts, II, 94.
   2. The Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany, June, 1803, p. 458.
   Version A
2. Skene Manuscript, p. 113. Version B
3. 'The Countess of Erroll,' Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, II, 176. Version C
4. 1. Lord and Lady Errol,' Buchan's Gleanings, p. 158.
   2. 'Errol's Place,' Maidment's North Countrie Garland, p. 31.
   3. 'Earl of Errol,' Kinloch's Ballad Book, p. 31.
   Version D
5. Letters from and to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, edited by Alexander Allardyce, I, 180; Sharpe's Ballad Book, p. 89, No. 31. Version E
6. 'The Earl of Erroll,' Kinloch Manuscripts, III, 133. Version F

Sir Gilbert Hay, tenth Earl of Errol, was married to Lady Catherine Carnegy, younger daughter of James, second Earl of Southesk, January 7, 1658, and had no children by her. He died in 1674. The ballad, says the person who communicated A b to the Edinburgh Miscellany, was "founded, it would seem, on some attempt to withhold from the Earl of Errol his consort's portion." It will be observed that the father proposes a beguiling to his daughter, and that she is ready to assent, in A, 12, 13.

It appears from a letter cited by Sharpe in his Ballad Book that the matters treated in the ballad were agitating, and had even "come to public hearing," in February, 1659.

Sir John Hay of Killour, as the nearest male heir, became the eleventh Earl of Errol. His wife was Lady Anne Drummond, only daughter of James, third Earl of Perth, so that the Earl of Perth might seem to have an interest in this affair of Errol's. She, however, was not born till January, 1656. Perth is actually made the other party in legal proceedings in A a 1, but in A b seems to espouse Errol's side.

Carnegy's other daughter, who in most of the versions censures her sister's conduct, is called Jean in A 5, D a 7, F 10, Anne in D b c. These are stock ballad-names, and we need not suppose that Anne comes from Lady Anne Drummond. The older daughter's name was Elizabeth.

Errol is in the Carse of Gowrie, a tract noted for its fertility; which accounts for B 2, D a 1, D c 1, F 2.

E, F go the length of imputing to Lady Errol an attempt to poison her husband with wine which she offers him. A page, of Errol's kin, exposes her in E; in F Errol gives the drink to a greyhound, and the dog bursts.

The last stanza of A b, C, D c has reference to "the ancient separate maintenance of a lady dissatisfied with or apart from her husband." (Edinburgh Magazine, as above.)

E is introduced in Sharpe's letter by some pages of mild pleasantry in the form of a preface to "a specimen of the fourth volume of the Border Minstrelsy, speedily to be published."

This page most recently updated on 21-Apr-2011, 05:16:27.
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