Martha Brown Manuscript
Title: Martha Brown her musick Book Boght at Inver ay
Location: GB-AYRac
Reference: AA/DC/139
Date: 1710 - 1714
Size: Oblong quarto
Extent: 127 folios
Notes:
Commonplace book from Ayrshire consisting of domestic recipes, receipts, poetry, songs, keyboard music and tunes for treble instrument. The volume is in its original calf binding and is decorated with gold leaf, with the initials “M B”, on front and back. Inscribed on the front end paper is “Martha Brown her musick Book Boght at Inver ay [Inverary]” along with the date 1714. On the back end paper and throughout the manuscript there are numerous scribbled names, of which the following are clear: Patt Sinclair, James Scott, John Duncanson, and Dugald Hislop. The reversed section of recipes also contains a section headed “Receipts dictated by Ms Young at Glasgow May 22d 1710”.
Of the musical portion, most of the items are songs (with words) for treble voice and unfigured bass, or keyboard pieces, with a selection headed “Thorow Bassus Lessons On the virginals or organs”. The treble tunes, probably for violin, are copied on three consecutive folios, on the recto side only (ff. 36r-38r).
The thematic index here lists the solo treble tunes only.
Bibliography:
Edwards, “Musical Sources”