1. Sanquhar
2. Keir Hardie (aka James Keir Hardie)
Very tricky indeed this week, the puzzle author has seriously upped his game, for the artist who painted 'The Vegetable Stall' (William York MacGregor), had a serious case of the wanderlust and lived all over the place, even in South Africa but the Eastender, from reading some of the painter's biographies, realised that he hung out with some of his milieu ('The Glasgow Boys') and one of them, James Paterson, had a kick back place in the village of Moniaive, in the county of Dumfries and Galloway. There appears to be a 'James Paterson' museum in the village and about three miles east or so, lies Maxwelton house which looks to be c 19th century in origin so not really a traditional medieval castle.
Again the writer ups his game and employs a crafty bit of misdirection by using the word 'neck' instead of 'nape' "her neck 'like the swan' ". If you carry out a search using 'neck like the swan', this leads you to a song called 'The Bonnie Bark':
The Bonnie Bark
O come, my bonnie bark!
O'er the waves let us go,
With thy neck like the swan,
And thy wings like the snow.
Spread thy plumes to the wind,
For a gentle one soon
Must welcome us home,
Ere the wane of the moon
This is not the one we seek but instead, it is a song called 'Annie Laurie', which appears to be associated with Maxwelton and this one uses the word 'nape' not 'neck':
Annie Laurie
Max Welton's braes are bonnie
Where early falls the dew
And 'twas there that Annie Laurie
Gave me her promise true.
That ne'er forgot shall be
And for Bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay me doon and dee
Her brow is like the snowdrift
Her nape is like the swan
And her face it is the fairest
And for Bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay me doon and dee.
To call 'The Admirable Crichton' (name of the 1902 play featuring a butler who was smarter than his employers) a soldier, is to somewhat underplay his achievements, for he was not only involved in military matters but was a sixteenth century polymath who could speak twelve languages and a rhetorician who could out debate and outsmart any of the professors in all of the universities he attended. He was unfortunately murdered at the young age of twenty two, for having an affair with the mistress of an Italian prince, called Vincenzo Gonzaga. James Crichton, according to some of his bios, appears to have been born c 1560 at Eliock, near the town of Sanquhar.
James Douglas, Duke of Queensbury seems to have been born at Sanquhar castle c 1662 and the family motto is not 'Forward' (again bit of nacht und nebel here ) but is in fact 'Jamais Arriere' (Never Behind). The Southern Upland Way (which is two hundred and ten or two hundred and twelve miles long, depending on which reference source you check), passes through the settlement.
Travelling fourteen miles north west of Sanquhar, probably on the A76, would bring us to the town of Cumnock and this is where James Keir Hardie (born c 1856) lived for a time. Keir Hardie was one of the founders of the Labour party. Surfaceman was the nom de plume of a poet called Alexander Anderson, who was born c 1845, in the village of Kirkconnel ( more shenanigans ;-) , there are two Kirkconnels in Dumfries and Galloway, the other one has an extra l on the end).
The 1791 poem was written by a whisky sampling wordsmith called Robert Burns and is titled
'Sweet Afton'. The Afton water flows into the town of New Cumnock, also on the A76 before you reach the old town of Cumnock.
Sweet Afton
Flow gently, sweet Afton! amang thy green braes,Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream,
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
The Eastender takes the view that the guy who wrote this was a genius and that the line "My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream", is up there with the works of some of the great Haiku writers like Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson and Kobayashi Issa.
N.B Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment or quip related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
It is suggested that Maxwelton House dates back originally to 1370 and was first owned by the Dennistouns who passed it by marriage to Clan Cunningham whose chiefs became the Earls of Glencairn in 1488. The original name appears to have been Glencairn Castle. In 1611 the castle was sold and Stephen Laurie became the owner along with his wife Marion, (nee Corsane), Marion's mother, Janet, was married to Robert, 7th Lord Maxwell and it is believed that Stephen changed the name to honour his wife's connection with the Maxwell family. Annie Laurie (their great granddaughter), was born in the castle in 1682. She features in the poem said to have been written by Capt. William Douglas about his romance with her. It appears that her father opposed their marriage. This may have been because Annie, (Anna), was very young; or due to Douglas's aggressive temperament; or more likely - because of his Jacobite allegiances.
ReplyDeleteLady John Scott (1810-1900), aka Alicia Spottiswoode of Spottiswoode) sister-in-law of the 5th Duke of Buccleuch, apparently added a melody to the poem's words to create a song but as well as writing a third verse, she amended the second using the word "throat" to descibe its likeness to a swan.
Maxwellton braes are bonnie,
Where early fa's the dew,
And 'twas there that Annie Laurie
Gave me her promise true.
Gave me her promise true,
Which ne'er forgot will be,
And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I lay me doon and dee.
Her brow is like the snowdrift,
Her throat is like a swan,
Her face it is the fairest
That e'er the sun shone on.
That e'er the sun shone on,
And dark blue is her ee,
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I lay me doon and dee.
Many thanks for the in depth research and analysis Flonska
ReplyDeleteI was further intrigued by the reference to James "Admirable" Crichton and the puzzle author's commentary "we pass near the probable birthplace of a soldier." In some bios, it is suggested that James, son of Robert Crichton, Lord Advocate, (d. 1582), was born in Eliock House, which appears to fit the clue. However, Robert appears to have had a cousin, also a Robert Crichton, a Bishop, (d. 1585). Bishop Robert, apparently, was the nephew of George Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld, Keeper of the Privy Seal. In 1543, Robert declared that he had been appointed coadjutor and acquired Clunie Castle in Perthshire upon his uncle's death. After a number legal challenges to his entitlement, Robert, apparently passed ownership of this property to his Lord Advocate cousin. A number of sources infer, at least, that James spent part of his childhood at Clunie whilst some, (mainly local inhabitants), appear, vehemently, to attest that James was born there. Hence, possibly, the uncertainty?
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the Clan Douglas motto, I concur with your findings that this appears to be, "Jamais arrière" = (Never Behind), although some sources append the following words:- "Tender and true
Forwards." Not exactly per the author's writings, is it? Maybe, the author's "notes" might have become sodden and illegible in the ensuing downpour and if TTF's smartphone had coped with the great British weather it might have provided clarification/endorsement of a number of key points - who knows? As you say, very tricky indeed, this week. 'Twas thus!!
Hi Just spent the best part of three hours on this. Now pleased that you both came up with the same, but oh how I became confused along the way!
ReplyDeleteIt was very tricky indeed this week Seafolly House, a veritable fog of red herrings and misdirection to filter out.....
ReplyDelete