Alicia Anne Spottiswoode , elder dau. As regards the gifted Alicia Anne Spottiswode who composed the tune to the immortal song [Annie Laurie], she modified the wording of the second verse and added the third. [There is an account of her in] Lord John Scott's book "The Fleeting Opportunity," published in 1940 by Wetherby, Ltd. "[...] It was in her maiden days at Marchmont, ten miles from Spottiswode, where her sister Lady Hume Campbell lived, that she wrote the modern version of the song by which she will be remembered. Her own account of Annie Laurie, given many years later to her old friend Lord Napier, was as follows: - "I wrote the lines very long ago to a ballad, originally Norwegian, called 'Kempie Kaye.' Before I married, I was staying at Marchmont and fell in with a collection of Allan Cunningham's poetry. I took a fancy to the words of Annie Laurie and thought they would go well to the tune I speak of. I didn't quite like the words, however, so I altered the verse 'She's backit like a peacock to what it is now and made the third verse Like dew on the gowan lying,' myself, only for my own amusement." Annie Laurie appeared anonymously in 1838 without Lady John Scott's knowledge or permission, and she always thought the air and words had been stolen, when she sent her music-book to be re-bound. The song was attributed to various people, and it was only when she gave the MS with several others to a publisher after the Crimean War, to produce them for the benefit of the widows and orphans of soldiers, that the real author became known. She had no children, and lived for many years, after her husband's death in 1860, alone at Spottiswode." She died in March 1900, in her 91st year, and after her husband's death, reverted to her paternal name of Scott. She was the daughter of John (Laird of) Spottiswode, and succeeded to the large estate about 1870. (Letter from R. A. Anslow, Hailsham, Sussex, Weekly Scotsman, Nov 6)
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