Nathaniel Gow (28 May 1763 – 19 January 1831) was a Scottish musician who was the fourth son of

Niel Gow Niel Gow (1727 – 1 March 1807) was the most famous Scottish fiddler of the eighteenth century. Early life Gow was born in Strathbraan, Perthshire, in 1727, as the son of John Gow and Catherine McEwan. The family moved to Inver in Perthshi ...

, and a celebrated performer, composer and arranger of tunes, songs and other pieces on his own right. He wrote about 200 compositions including the popular "

Caller Herrin' "Caller Herrin is a Scottish song, the music by Nathaniel Gow (1763–1831), and the words by Carolina Nairne (1766–1845). History "Caller herrin means fresh herring. It was the traditional cry of Newhaven fishwives, who carried in creels ...

Early life

Nathaniel was born to Niel Gow and Margaret Wiseman, at Inver, near

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

, on 28 May 1763; with brothers William, John, and Andrew also showing early musical talent. He was taught the fiddle at first by his father, but was soon sent to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

where he was taught successively by Robert "Red Rob" Mackintosh, the fiddler Alexander McGlashan, and his elder brother William Gow. He also learnt the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

under Joseph Reinagle. In 1782 he was appointed as one of His Majesty's herald trumpeters for Scotland.

Career

In 1796, Gow started a music-selling and publishing business with William Shepherd at 41 North Bridge, Edinburgh, which continued until Shepherd's death in 1813. Gow became prominent as the leader of many bands, and was important at many assemblies such as the Caledonian Hunt Balls. His patron was the

Duke of Atholl Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of h ...

. Between 1799 and 1824, he published a significant number of collections of tunes, including some by Scottish composer

Magdalene Stirling Magdalene Stirling (1765 – 1846) was a Scottish composer best known for ''Twelve Tunes Composed by Miss Stirling of Ardoch'', which she had printed privately in 1796. Stirling was the youngest of five daughters born in Ardoch, Perthshire, to ...

. Gow played for

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

the Royal Caledonian Hunt The Royal Caledonian Hunt is a Scottish racing club dating back to 1777. Background The Club was officially instituted on 2 August 1777 in Hamilton as 'the Hunters Club'. The following year the club took the name 'The Caledonian Hunt Club'. The ...

ball during his visit to Scotland in 1822.

Later life

He married twice, and had five daughters and one son by his first wife, Janet Fraser. One of his daughters, Margaret, in 1810 went onto marry Adam Armstrong, a European pioneer to the Colony of Western Australia. By his second wife, Mary Hog, whom he married in 1814, he had three sons and two daughters. Only one of his daughters, Augusta Gow, seems to have followed in the family profession, and became a teacher of music in Edinburgh. Gow died in

on 19 January 1831, aged 67, and was buried in

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

. The 20th Century English composer

David Gow David James Gow CBE (born 1957) is the inventor of the i-Limb prosthetic hand. He was made an honorary Doctor of Science in November 2018 by the University of Edinburgh. Biography He was born in Dumfries in 1957 and was educated at Breconbeds ...

is a descendant. He commemorated the connection in his ''Six Diversions on an Ancestral Theme''.Obituary, ''The Guardian'', 27 February 1993
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References

External links

Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) at RegencyDances.org
1831 deaths 1766 births British male violinists Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Composers for fiddle People from Perthshire Scottish fiddlers {{UK-composer-stub

Early life

Career

Later life

See also

References

External links