Grizel Baillie
Encyclopedia
Lady Grisell Baillie was a Scottish
songwriter.
, afterwards earl of Marchmont, Lady Grisell Baillie was born at Redbraes Castle, Berwickshire
. When she was twelve years old, she carried letters from her father to Scottish patriot
Robert Baillie of Jerviswood
, who was then in prison. Home's friendship for Baillie made him a suspected man, and the king
's troops occupied Redbraes Castle. He remained in hiding for some time in a kirkyard, where his daughter kept him supplied with food; but on hearing of the execution of Baillie (1684), he fled to the United Provinces
, where his family soon after joined him. They returned to Scotland after the Glorious Revolution
.
In 1692, Lady Grisell married George Baillie, son of the patriot. The couple had first met when they were twelve, and supposedly fell in love at that point. What is known for certain is that after Lady Grisell was able to return to Scotland, she turned down the offer to be one of Queen Mary's maids-of-honour, and insisted to her parents on marrying George over a more advantageous match. The couple had two daughters: Grisell, who married Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope
; and Lady Rachel Binning. Lady Murray had in her possession a manuscript in prose and verse of her mother's. Some of the songs had been printed in Allan Ramsay
's Tea-Table Miscellany. "And werena my heart light I wad dee", the most famous of Lady Grisell's Scots
songs, originally appeared in Orpheus
Caledonius
(1725).
Lady Grisell Baillie's account books reveal information about social life in Scotland in the eighteenth-century. Her account books were meticulously kept from 1692 to 1746. Her entries begin late into her first year of marriage and finish just before her death, and consist of more than a thousand pages of entries.
The Scottish Historical Society published a four hundred page scholarly edition of the accounts in 1911. This edition was edited by Robert Scott-Moncrieff, and focused mainly on the entries from 1692 to 1718, which gives extensive details about the early years of the Baillies' marriage, the births and upbringing of their children and the marriages of their daughters. Historians have cited these accounts to demonstrate cost of goods and to provide evidence of what servants' caloric intake was during this period.
A great deal is known about George and Grisell Baillie's marriage and family thanks to the biography written by their daughter, Lady Grisell Murray of Stanhope. Although the biography was not intended for publication, it appeared in print in 1809 under the title, "Lady Murray's Narrative" in Observations on the Historical Work of the Right Honorable Charles James Fox.
Lady Grisell was also memorialized by Scottish poet Joanna Baillie, who claimed to be a distant relative, in a poem. The poem was first published in Metrical Legends of Exalted Characters in 1821.
Grisell died in London on 6 December 1746.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
songwriter.
Biography
The eldest daughter of Sir Patrick Hume of PolwarthPatrick Hume of Polwarth
Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth and Redbraes was a Scottish courtier and makar , the eldest son of Patrick and Agnes Hume, a major Scottish Borders family with landholdings in The Merse. As eldest son, Patrick Hume succeeded to the family estates, including Redbraes Castle, on the death of his father...
, afterwards earl of Marchmont, Lady Grisell Baillie was born at Redbraes Castle, Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
. When she was twelve years old, she carried letters from her father to Scottish patriot
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
Robert Baillie of Jerviswood
Baillie of Jerviswood
Robert Baillie was a Scottish conspirator implicated in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II. He was executed for treason....
, who was then in prison. Home's friendship for Baillie made him a suspected man, and the king
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
's troops occupied Redbraes Castle. He remained in hiding for some time in a kirkyard, where his daughter kept him supplied with food; but on hearing of the execution of Baillie (1684), he fled to the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, where his family soon after joined him. They returned to Scotland after the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
.
In 1692, Lady Grisell married George Baillie, son of the patriot. The couple had first met when they were twelve, and supposedly fell in love at that point. What is known for certain is that after Lady Grisell was able to return to Scotland, she turned down the offer to be one of Queen Mary's maids-of-honour, and insisted to her parents on marrying George over a more advantageous match. The couple had two daughters: Grisell, who married Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope
Stanhope
-Places:* Stanhope, Victoria, Australia* Stanhope, Prince Edward Island, Canada* Stanhope, Quebec, Canada* Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK* Stanhope, Kent, England, UK* Stanhope, Peeblesshire, Scotland, UK* Stanhope, Iowa, US* Stanhope, New Jersey, US...
; and Lady Rachel Binning. Lady Murray had in her possession a manuscript in prose and verse of her mother's. Some of the songs had been printed in Allan Ramsay
Allan Ramsay (poet)
Allan Ramsay was a Scottish poet , playwright, publisher, librarian and wig-maker.-Life and career:...
's Tea-Table Miscellany. "And werena my heart light I wad dee", the most famous of Lady Grisell's Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
songs, originally appeared in Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
Caledonius
Caledonia
Caledonia is the Latinised form and name given by the Romans to the land in today's Scotland north of their province of Britannia, beyond the frontier of their empire...
(1725).
Lady Grisell Baillie's account books reveal information about social life in Scotland in the eighteenth-century. Her account books were meticulously kept from 1692 to 1746. Her entries begin late into her first year of marriage and finish just before her death, and consist of more than a thousand pages of entries.
The Scottish Historical Society published a four hundred page scholarly edition of the accounts in 1911. This edition was edited by Robert Scott-Moncrieff, and focused mainly on the entries from 1692 to 1718, which gives extensive details about the early years of the Baillies' marriage, the births and upbringing of their children and the marriages of their daughters. Historians have cited these accounts to demonstrate cost of goods and to provide evidence of what servants' caloric intake was during this period.
A great deal is known about George and Grisell Baillie's marriage and family thanks to the biography written by their daughter, Lady Grisell Murray of Stanhope. Although the biography was not intended for publication, it appeared in print in 1809 under the title, "Lady Murray's Narrative" in Observations on the Historical Work of the Right Honorable Charles James Fox.
Lady Grisell was also memorialized by Scottish poet Joanna Baillie, who claimed to be a distant relative, in a poem. The poem was first published in Metrical Legends of Exalted Characters in 1821.
Grisell died in London on 6 December 1746.