Young Airly

DESCRIPTION: Lochiel and Airly ride away with Charlie. Argyle then rides to "glent to heav'n I' the dwelling o' young Airly." Lochiel mistakes the glow for sunrise but Ogilvie realizes Airly is burning. He mourns "mither and twa sweet babies" lost and curses Argyle.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1810 (Cromek)
KEYWORDS: feud homicide fire
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 75, "Young Airly" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: R. H. Cromek, Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, (London, 1810), pp. 195-197, "Young Airly"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Bonnie House o Airlie" [Child 199] (subject and tune)
NOTES [388 words]: "Lochiel" may refer to Alan Cameron (c. 1567-c. 1647) or Ewen Cameron (1629-1719), the 15th and 16th clan chiefs respectively (see "Cameron2" at Stirnet Genealogy site).
Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 of both "Young Airly" texts: "Trusting to a note in Cromek's Collection [Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song], I never doubted that this was a song of 1745, and reserved it for this volume, and even for this latter division of it. I find, however, in searching for the event to which it relates, that it is the very oldest Scots song in the collection, being one of 1640."
Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 has two ballads for this title. Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 76 is Child 199. Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 75 shares the tune and subject with Hogg-JacobiteRelicsOfScotlandVol2 76, but no lines with that text or any of Child's.
"Cromek died [1812] shortly after the issue [1810] of Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, which was mostly written by Cunningham, though palmed upon Cromek as recovered antiques." (source: J. Ross, The Book of Scottish Poems: Ancient and Modern, (Edinburgh, Edinburgh Publishing Co, 1878), "Allan Cunningham 1784-1842," p. 738; other sources agree)
Cromek: "'Young Airlie' was eldest son to Ogilvie, Earl of Airlie, and with his father's vassals joined Prince Charles. He married a daughter of Johnstone of Westerhall in Annandale -- a lady of characteristic courage who followed her lord through all the dangers and troubles of war. In the hasty march through Dumfries a confidential friend wished Lady Ogilvie to return to her father's from the uncertain tumult of rebellion. 'O! Mary (said she) Charlie's the righteous heir! Wha wadna gang wi' Charlie!' Young Lord Airlie escaped to France after the battle of Culloden." This is apparently the note Hogg referred to. Compare Cromek's comments with the references for "The Bonnie House o Airlie [Child 199]." - BS
My instinct, and Cromek's, and evidently Hogg's, was to refer this to the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie, due to the reference to Charles and the fact that Lochiel was Charlie's most important supporter. But we should note that, in 1640, the king was Charles I, who was fighting (and would eventually lose) the English Civil War. And his son was Charles II, who would not be restored until 1660. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.5
File: Hogg2075

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