Music for the Eglinton Tournament

I recently bought a large collection of Victorian Sheet Music, which contained mostly covers without music. In amongst them was a small sheet with music, consisting of 14 dances, titled "The Tournament Quadrilles and Waltzes, Eglintoun, Composed & Arranged for the Fete by Mrs C. Gunning Campbell Hunter. August 1839."

The Eglinton Tournament was conceived as a grand medieval pageant by the 13th Earl of Eglinton, Archibald William Montgomerie. The emphasis was on grand, as the Earl was upset that such pageantry had been missing from Queen Victoria's coronation, for reasons of economy. It was to be held at Eglinton Castle in Ayrshire. He envisaged 4,000 visitors attending the week-long celebrations, but in the event 100,000 from all over the world made their way, using the newly opened railways. The event began on Wednesday 28th August, at which point a huge storm raged throughout the day, causing flooding and a huge amount of chaos. The weather did not improve over the next few days, and the whole event is considered to have been a washout.

I was intrigued by this small collection of music. The top appears to have been 'nibbled' by something, and I suspect the bottom was as well as the corner has been clipped, but luckily with no loss to the music. I researched it online, but could find no mention specifically of this collection, nor of Mrs C Gunning Campbell Hunter. However, there is little doubt that this is Mrs Catherine Gunning Campbell Hunter, who had married Duncan Hunter sometime around 1817. The Gunning Campbell family were wealthy Ayrshire landowners, based on the Fairfield estate. My copy seems to be the only record that Catherine had anything to do with the music at the Tournament, but there is no doubt that her family was invited to and involved with the event.

Given the lack of any other reference to this collection of Quadrilles and Waltzes, I am putting it complete on this website. If anyone has more information regarding this, I would be pleased to hear from them.

 greywings89@gmail.com