Agnes Lyle or ''Agnes Lile'' (1700s – 1800s) was a British ballad singer who lived in

Kilbarchan Kilbarchan ( gd, Cill Bhearchain) is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village's name means "cell (chapel) of St. Barchan". It is known for its former weaving industry. History ...

in Renfrewshire. Her songs which she had learnt from her father were transcribed by

William Motherwell William Motherwell (13 October 1797, Glasgow – 1 November 1835, Glasgow) was a Scottish poet, antiquary and journalist. Life Motherwell was born at Glasgow, the son of Willan and Jane Motherwell. His father was an ironmonger. He was se ...

and published by

Francis James Child Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 – September 11, 1896) was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of English and Scottish ballads now known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of ...

Life

Lyle was born to a weaver who lived from about 1731 to about 1811. His name is unknown and Lyle's birth date is only estimated to be about 1775. She is only known because in 1825 she met

several times. Motherwell was gathering ballads and he met several Scottish women but Lyle was his best source. She supplied 22 songs and in some cases she gave him the tune and the words. Lyle's neighbours in

supplied other songs. She told Motherwell that she had obtained the songs she sang him from her father. She sang songs of love triangles and patriotic songs but she was said to be cynical about their themes. However when she sang the lyrics of ''Sheath and Knife'' she was moved to tears. The song involves the incestual relationship of a brother and sister. The song was later recorded by

Maddy Prior Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police dr ...

Legacy

Her songs came to wider notice when Motherwell's gatherings were included in Harvard Professor

's publication, ''English and Scottish Popular Ballads, 1882–98''.Mary Ellen Brown, ‘Lyle , Agnes (fl. 1825)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 4 April 2017
/ref> In 1978 her ballads were republished by Indiana University.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyle, Agnes 1700s births 1800s deaths 18th-century Scottish women singers People from Renfrewshire