Elizabeth Wardlaw
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth, Lady Wardlaw reputed author of Hardyknute, second daughter of Sir Charles Halket, was born in April 1677. She married in 1696 Sir Henry Wardlaw, 4th Baronet, of Pitreavie (see Wardlaw Baronets
). The ballad
of Hardyknute, published in 1719 as an old poem, was supposed to have been discovered by her in a vault at Dunfermline
, but no manuscript was ever produced; and in the 1767 edition of Percy's Reliques the poem was ascribed to her. The beautiful ballad of Sir Patrick Spens
(F. J. Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ii. 17) has been also asserted to be her work, one of the supporters of the theory being Robert Chambers (Remarks on Scottish Ballads, 1859). The level of accomplishment in Hardyknute, however, gives no reason for supposing that Lady Wardlaw was capable of producing Sir Patrick Spens.
Wardlaw Baronets
The Wardlaw Baronetcy, of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, is a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 5 March 1631 for Henry Wardlaw, Chamberlain to Anne of Denmark, consort of James VI, with remainder to heirs male whatsoever. He had acquired Pitreavie in 1606 and this was...
). The ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
of Hardyknute, published in 1719 as an old poem, was supposed to have been discovered by her in a vault at Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, but no manuscript was ever produced; and in the 1767 edition of Percy's Reliques the poem was ascribed to her. The beautiful ballad of Sir Patrick Spens
Sir Patrick Spens
"Sir Patrick Spens" is one of the most popular of the Child Ballads , and is of Scottish origin.-Historicity:The events of the ballad are similar to, and may chronicle, an actual event: the bringing home of the Scottish queen Margaret, Maid of Norway across the North Sea in 1290...
(F. J. Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ii. 17) has been also asserted to be her work, one of the supporters of the theory being Robert Chambers (Remarks on Scottish Ballads, 1859). The level of accomplishment in Hardyknute, however, gives no reason for supposing that Lady Wardlaw was capable of producing Sir Patrick Spens.
External links
- Mary Ellen Brown, ‘Wardlaw , Elizabeth, Lady Wardlaw (1677–1727)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 25 Feb 2007