The dance is dedicated to The Mary Erskine School on the occasion of its tercentenary.
Mary Erskine
Mary Erskine (1629–1707) was a Scottish businesswoman and philantropist. Her second husband, James Hair, who died in 1683, left her a modest inheritance, which she used to establish a private bank. This turned out to be very successful and she obtained a considerable fortune. In 1694 she donated 10,000
merks
to the
Merchant Company of Edinburgh
to improve the education of the daughters of the burgesses, i.e., the established merchants and craftsmen, of the city. This led to the establishment of the
Merchant Maiden Hospital
, in spite of its name not a healthcare institution, but a girls’ school in the Cowgate, right in the middle of Edinburgh. Cowgate – not the most savoury area of the city at any rate – no longer contains any trace of the school, which moved away a long time ago and, after a number of other moves, can now been found west of the city, in Ravelston (near Murrayfield stadium). In 1706 and 1707, Mary Erskine made further donations to the school, which in 1944 was renamed
The Mary Erskine School
to commemorate its benefactress.
(In case anyone asks: One
merk
was a Scottish silver coin worth 14 shilling Scots. Mary’s donation therefore amounted to 7000 pound Scots, so according to the prevailing exchange rate of 12 pounds Scots to one pound Sterling, approximately £583. In 2025, this would be around £96,000 plus change.)
From “Anselm's Notes on Dances”, by Anselm Lingnau
(Used by permission.)