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Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie

October 28, 2023

Thomas Alexander Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie (1 September 1732 – 9 October 1781), styled Viscount Fentoun and Lord Pittenweem until 1756, was a Scottish musician and composer whose considerable talent brought him international fame and his rakish habits notoriety, but nowadays is little known. Recent recordings of his surviving compositions have led to him being re-evaluated as one of the most important British composers of the 18th century, as well as a leading exponent of Scotland's music.

The Earl of Kellie.

Life edit

His father Alexander Erskine, 5th Earl of Kellie, was incarcerated at Edinburgh Castle for supporting the Jacobites in the Jacobite rising of 1745. His mother, Janet Pitcairn, was the daughter of a celebrated physician and poet. Born in Edinburgh,[1] Thomas attended the Royal High School before leaving around 1752 for Mannheim in Germany to study under the elder Johann Stamitz. After his father's death in 1756, Alexander returned to Scotland as a virtuoso violinist and composer, nicknamed "Fiddler Tam".

He began propagating the modern Mannheim style, of which he was to become widely acknowledged as the leading British exponent. Six of his three-movement "Overtures" (Symphonies) were published in Edinburgh in 1761. James Boswell borrowed five guineas from Erskine on 20 October 1762, and on 26 May 1763 took him on a visit to Lord Eglinton's in London, where the overture the Earl composed for the popular pastiche The Maid of the Mill (at Covent Garden in 1765) became exceptionally popular. In 1767 the Earl returned to Scotland, where he became a leading light of the Edinburgh Musical Society, acting as deputy governor, and as an able violinist directed the concerts in St Cecillia's Hall in Niddry Street (formerly Niddry's Wynd), Edinburgh.

An active Freemason, he was elected the fourth Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Ancients at London in 1760 and served in that office for six years. He also served as the twenty-fourth Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland from 1763 to 1765.

In 1775, while returning from a continental trip, Thomas almost died in a shipwreck off of the English Channel. The tale was captured in the following poem which is believed to have been written by Thomas' kinsman Henry Erskine.

"In ancient story this I've found,
That no Musician e'er was drown'd.
A harp was then, or I mistake it,
Much better than the best cork-jacket;
…
'Twas thus the tuneful Peer of Kelly
Escap'd some whale's enormous belly;
And safe in London, thinks no longer
He'll prove a feast for shark or conger."[2]

His dissolute lifestyle extended to founding an (all-male) drinking club, and reportedly the playwright Samuel Foote advised Kellie to put his red nose into his greenhouse to ripen his cucumbers! He tended to compose on the spot and absent-mindedly give music away without further thought for it. His health suffered and he visited Spa, Belgium, but while returning was "struck with a paralytic shock" and while stopping for a few days at Brussels was attacked by a "putrid fever" and died.

Succession edit

His brother the Hon. Archibald (b. 22 Apr 1736; d.8 May 1797) became 7th Earl of Kellie, but he died unmarried with no heir. The title went to the 7th Earl's third cousin once removed, Charles Erskine, 8th Earl Kellie, whose father, also named Charles Erskine (1730-1790), was 6th Baronet of Cambo (one of the Erskine Baronets) and the son of David Erskine, Lyon-Clerk who died 7 Oct 1769. Another of David's sons, was Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie. When the 9th Earl died in 1828, his brother, Methven Erskine became 10th Earl Kellie.

Compositions edit

Minuet in A by Thomas Erskine, played by Jan Waterfield on the square piano

Erskine composed the Overture to Isaac Bickerstaff's comic opera, The Maid of the Mill, which was performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden early in 1765.[3]

Until the 1970s only a small number of his compositions was thought to survive, though the discovery in 1989 of two manuscripts containing chamber works at Kilravock Castle has doubled the number of his surviving compositions – notably with nine trio sonatas and nine string quartets. Interest in him was recently revived by John Purser, among others, and a CD of his works has now been made.

List of compositions

- Sinfonia a Quattro in G major

- Sinfonia a Quattro in D major

- Quartet in C minor (I. Allegro, II. Andante, III. Allegro)

- Quartet in A Major (I. Allegro molto, II. Adagio, III. Minuet)

- Minuet

- The Favourite Minutes (1. Lady Betty Stanley's Minuet)

- Overture in C major, Op. 1,No. 2 (I.???, II. Andantino, III. Presto assai)

- Overture in B Flat 'The Maid o the Mill' - (I. Allegro, II. Adagio ma non troppo, III. Minuet (Rondo)

- Periodical Overture No. 16

- Periodical Overture No.17 in E-Flat Major (Andantino, Allegro con spirito, Presto) <Which order?

- Death Is Now My Only Treasure

- The Lover's Message

- Lord Kelly's Reel

- Trio Sonata No. 5 in E (I. Andante con espressione, II. Minuetto)

- Trio Sonata No. 6 in G (I. Andantino, II. Tempo di Minuetto)

Reception edit

His reputation was well represented in his obituaries in Scots Magazine and Gentleman's Magazine, though the two magazines cannot agree on the day on he died. Gentleman's magazine described him as follows: 'one of the finest musical composers of the age, and esteemed by the cognoscenti as the first man of taste in the musical line, of any British subject... He loved his bottle, but was a worthy social character.'[2]

Ancestry edit

References edit

  1. ^ "National Records of Scotland". 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b Roscoe, P.C. (1951). "Thomas Alexander Erskine: A Biographical Note". The Musical Times. 92 (1295): 15–16. doi:10.2307/935283. JSTOR 935283.
  3. ^ Purser, John (2019), The Scots who helped mould Mozart?, The National, Monday 23 December 2019, pp. 20 - 21
  • David Johnson, Music and Society in Eighteenth-Century Scotland (2nd edition, Edinburgh, 2003)

External links edit

Masonic offices
Preceded by Grand Master of the
Antient Grand Lodge of England
1760–1766 		Succeeded by
Hon. Thomas Mathew
Preceded by Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Scotland
1763–1765 		Succeeded by
James Stewart
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Earl of Kellie
1756–1781 		Succeeded by
Archibald Erskine

October 28, 2023
thomas, erskine, earl, kellie, thomas, alexander, erskine, earl, kellie, september, 1732, october, 1781, styled, viscount, fentoun, lord, pittenweem, until, 1756, scottish, musician, composer, whose, considerable, talent, brought, international, fame, rakish, . Thomas Alexander Erskine 6th Earl of Kellie 1 September 1732 9 October 1781 styled Viscount Fentoun and Lord Pittenweem until 1756 was a Scottish musician and composer whose considerable talent brought him international fame and his rakish habits notoriety but nowadays is little known Recent recordings of his surviving compositions have led to him being re evaluated as one of the most important British composers of the 18th century as well as a leading exponent of Scotland s music The Earl of Kellie Contents 1 Life 2 Succession 3 Compositions 4 Reception 5 Ancestry 6 References 7 External linksLife editHis father Alexander Erskine 5th Earl of Kellie was incarcerated at Edinburgh Castle for supporting the Jacobites in the Jacobite rising of 1745 His mother Janet Pitcairn was the daughter of a celebrated physician and poet Born in Edinburgh 1 Thomas attended the Royal High School before leaving around 1752 for Mannheim in Germany to study under the elder Johann Stamitz After his father s death in 1756 Alexander returned to Scotland as a virtuoso violinist and composer nicknamed Fiddler Tam He began propagating the modern Mannheim style of which he was to become widely acknowledged as the leading British exponent Six of his three movement Overtures Symphonies were published in Edinburgh in 1761 James Boswell borrowed five guineas from Erskine on 20 October 1762 and on 26 May 1763 took him on a visit to Lord Eglinton s in London where the overture the Earl composed for the popular pastiche The Maid of the Mill at Covent Garden in 1765 became exceptionally popular In 1767 the Earl returned to Scotland where he became a leading light of the Edinburgh Musical Society acting as deputy governor and as an able violinist directed the concerts in St Cecillia s Hall in Niddry Street formerly Niddry s Wynd Edinburgh An active Freemason he was elected the fourth Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Ancients at London in 1760 and served in that office for six years He also served as the twenty fourth Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland from 1763 to 1765 In 1775 while returning from a continental trip Thomas almost died in a shipwreck off of the English Channel The tale was captured in the following poem which is believed to have been written by Thomas kinsman Henry Erskine In ancient story this I ve found That no Musician e er was drown d A harp was then or I mistake it Much better than the best cork jacket Twas thus the tuneful Peer of Kelly Escap d some whale s enormous belly And safe in London thinks no longer He ll prove a feast for shark or conger 2 His dissolute lifestyle extended to founding an all male drinking club and reportedly the playwright Samuel Foote advised Kellie to put his red nose into his greenhouse to ripen his cucumbers He tended to compose on the spot and absent mindedly give music away without further thought for it His health suffered and he visited Spa Belgium but while returning was struck with a paralytic shock and while stopping for a few days at Brussels was attacked by a putrid fever and died Succession editHis brother the Hon Archibald b 22 Apr 1736 d 8 May 1797 became 7th Earl of Kellie but he died unmarried with no heir The title went to the 7th Earl s third cousin once removed Charles Erskine 8th Earl Kellie whose father also named Charles Erskine 1730 1790 was 6th Baronet of Cambo one of the Erskine Baronets and the son of David Erskine Lyon Clerk who died 7 Oct 1769 Another of David s sons was Thomas Erskine 9th Earl of Kellie When the 9th Earl died in 1828 his brother Methven Erskine became 10th Earl Kellie Compositions edit source source source source source source Minuet in A by Thomas Erskine played by Jan Waterfield on the square pianoErskine composed the Overture to Isaac Bickerstaff s comic opera The Maid of the Mill which was performed at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden early in 1765 3 Until the 1970s only a small number of his compositions was thought to survive though the discovery in 1989 of two manuscripts containing chamber works at Kilravock Castle has doubled the number of his surviving compositions notably with nine trio sonatas and nine string quartets Interest in him was recently revived by John Purser among others and a CD of his works has now been made List of compositions Sinfonia a Quattro in G major Sinfonia a Quattro in D major Quartet in C minor I Allegro II Andante III Allegro Quartet in A Major I Allegro molto II Adagio III Minuet Minuet The Favourite Minutes 1 Lady Betty Stanley s Minuet Overture in C major Op 1 No 2 I II Andantino III Presto assai Overture in B Flat The Maid o the Mill I Allegro II Adagio ma non troppo III Minuet Rondo Periodical Overture No 16 Periodical Overture No 17 in E Flat Major Andantino Allegro con spirito Presto lt Which order Death Is Now My Only Treasure The Lover s Message Lord Kelly s Reel Trio Sonata No 5 in E I Andante con espressione II Minuetto Trio Sonata No 6 in G I Andantino II Tempo di Minuetto Reception editHis reputation was well represented in his obituaries in Scots Magazine and Gentleman s Magazine though the two magazines cannot agree on the day on he died Gentleman s magazine described him as follows one of the finest musical composers of the age and esteemed by the cognoscenti as the first man of taste in the musical line of any British subject He loved his bottle but was a worthy social character 2 Ancestry editAncestors of Thomas Erskine 6th Earl of Kellie8 Alexander Erskine 3rd Earl of Kellie4 Alexander Erskine 4th Earl of Kellie9 Lady Mary Dalzell2 Sir Alexander Erskine10 Colin Lindsay 3rd Earl of Balcarres5 Lady Anne Lindsay11 Lady Jean Carnegie1 Sir Thomas Alexander Erskine12 Alexander Pitcairn6 Dr Archibald Pitcairn13 Janet Sydserff3 Lady Janet Pitcairn14 Archibald Stevenson7 Elizabeth StevensonReferences edit National Records of Scotland 31 May 2013 a b Roscoe P C 1951 Thomas Alexander Erskine A Biographical Note The Musical Times 92 1295 15 16 doi 10 2307 935283 JSTOR 935283 Purser John 2019 The Scots who helped mould Mozart The National Monday 23 December 2019 pp 20 21 David Johnson Music and Society in Eighteenth Century Scotland 2nd edition Edinburgh 2003 External links edit 6th Earl of Kellie Website Significant Scots Thomas Alexander Erskine Linn Records reviews of CD Thomas Alexander Erskine at James Boswell a guide Free scores by Thomas Erskine 6th Earl of Kellie at the International Music Score Library Project IMSLP Masonic officesPreceded byThe Earl of Blessington Grand Master of theAntient Grand Lodge of England1760 1766 Succeeded byHon Thomas MathewPreceded byThe Earl of Elgin Grand Master of theGrand Lodge of Scotland1763 1765 Succeeded byJames StewartPeerage of ScotlandPreceded byAlexander Erskine Earl of Kellie1756 1781 Succeeded byArchibald Erskine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Erskine 6th Earl of Kellie amp oldid 1173595838, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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