Sir Gilbert Hay, tenth Earl of Errol, was married to Lady Catherine Carnegy, younger daughter of James, second Earl of Southesk, January 7, 165S, and had no children by her. He died in lf>74. 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.
This page most recently updated on 10-Dec-2010, 19:02:57. Return to main index
