Song and music book of Margaret, wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Honourable Adolphus Frederick Cathcart, containing songs (arranged for voice and keyboard) and dances.
Scope and Contents
Many of the pieces are unattributed and many of the rest are poems taken from published sources set to music by members of the Cathcart family and their friends. Several pieces are private compositions being inscribed 'not to be given away' or 'not to be copied'.
The book was given by Lieutenant-Colonel Cathcart to his wife in 1835, according to inscriptions in her hand inside the front cover and on the first flyleaf. It contains pieces copied by her until about 1840 (folio 113). Many of the verses of the longer poems are written in the margins or at the end of the setting and where the poems are too long, the extra verses have been written on folios i-iii. All the pieces at the back are dances.
Leaves have been cut out after folios 93 and 113, resulting in damage to the gutters of folios 91-93. A small leaf containing a dance setting has been pasted to folio 4 verso inverted. Folios 118 and 127, which contain additional verses, have been tipped in.
The upper board is stamped 'Honb[le] Mʳ[s] A. F. Cathcart' in gold capitals.
Dates
- Creation: 1835-?1840.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
142 Leaves
Language of Materials
Undetermined
Arrangement
128 + 14 inverted folios.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Bought, Philips in Scotland, 14 February 1979, lot 229.
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk