Dance Lennox Love to Blantyre 3775

The wren scho lyes in care’s bed,
  In care’s bed, in care’s bed;
The wren scho lyes in care’s bed,
  In meikle dule and pyne, O.
When in cam Robin Redbreist,
  Redbreist, Redbreist;
When in cam Robin Redbreist,
  Wi’ succar-saps and wine, O.

Now, maiden, will ye taste o’ this,
  Taste o’ this, taste o’ this;
Now, maiden, will ye taste o’ this?
  It’s succar-saps and wine, O.
Na, ne’er a drap, Robin,
  Robin, Robin;
Na, ne’er a drap, Robin,
  Though it were ne’er sae fine, O.

And where’s the ring that I gied ye,
  That I gied ye, that I gied ye;
And where’s the ring that I gied ye,
  Ye little cutty-quean, O?
I gied it till a soger,
  A soger, a soger;
I gied it till a soger,
  A true sweetheart o’ mine, O.

William Stenhouse says, “This old Nursery Song, beginning ‘The Wren scho lies in care’s bed’, was taken from Herd’s Ancient Songs and Ballads. The words are adapted to the beautiful air called ‘Lennox’s Love to Blantyre’, which is frequently played as a dancing tune.” Actually, in James Johnson’s The Scots Musical Museum, Volume 5, 1796, the title is “The Wren, or Lennox’s love to Blantyre”.

It was to the tune “Lennox love to Blantyre” that Robert Burns wrote one of his last poems, “O Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast”. The song was inspired by young Jessy Lewars who nursed Burns during his last illness and with whom Burns fancied himself in love.

The title of this dance tells a rather intriguing story. The castle of Lennoxlove, between Bolton and Haddington in East Lothian, now owned by the Duke of Hamilton, belonged to the Maitland family from 1345 and was known as Lethington. Where once stood the original castle looms the overpowering four-square 15th century tower with the 17th century, and later, additions. Lethington withstood the onslaughts of English invaders, and John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale, and his son, John, 2nd Earl and 1st and only Duke of Lauderdale (1616–1682), carried out extensive restorations. In 1703 the estate of Lethington was sold and became Lennoxlove.

Frances Teresa Stewart (1647–1702) was the granddaughter of Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre, and her father was a physician in the exiled household of Queen Henrietta Maria, widow of the beheaded Charles I. Frances Stewart was brought up in France and, when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II, that very merry monarch, she was sent to England to be maid of honour to the new queen. Since she was a great beauty it was not surprising that she caught the eye of Charles and it is generally supposed that “La Belle Stuart” became one of his mistresses, although at least one source says that she was the only lady at Court to refuse the king’s advances. It is known that she posed as the model for the figure of Britannia found on the old pennies and half-pennies and on some medals. In 1667, when Charles was reputed to be considering divorce in order to marry her, she eloped and married Charles Stuart, 6th Duke of Lennox and 3rd Duke of Richmond (1639–1672). It is indeed strange that both husband and lover were named Charles Stuart. The duke had shared Charles’ exile in France and had returned with the king to England. He was hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain and High Admiral of Scotland. After their marriage the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Lennox returned to Court and the king’s affection for the new duchess was in no way diminished. In 1672 the duke was serving as Ambassador to Denmark and after attending a dinner aboard a British warship anchored off of Elsinor he slipped and fell as he was leaving the ship and was drowned. King Christian V of Denmark sent the body back to the young duchess in a ship that was black from hulls to sails.

The Duchess of Richmond and Lennox did not remarry. She had no children and when she died in 1702 she left a large sum of money to her cousin, Alexander Stewart, Lord Blantyre, and his son, the Master of Blantyre, for the express purpose of purchasing Lethington which, as her will stipulated, “I appoint it to be called Lennoxlove.”

The Blantyres remained at Lennoxlove until 1900 when the title became extinct.