P. 253. J. Haslewood made an entry in his copy of Ritson’s Scotish Song
of a MS. Lute-Book (presented to Dr C. Burney by Dr Skene, of Marischal
College, in 1781), which contained airs “noted and collected by Robert
Gordon, at Aberdeen, in the year of our Lord 1627.” Among some ninety
titles of tunes mentioned, there occur ‘Ther wer three ravens,’ and ‘God
be with the, Geordie.’ (W. Macmath.)
“The song of ‘The Twa Corbies’ was given to me by Miss Erskine of Alva
(now Mrs Kerr), who, I think, said that she had written it down from the
recitation of an old woman at Alva.” C. K. Sharpe to Scott, August 8,
1802, Letters, I, 70, Abbotsford; printed in Sharpe’s Letters, ed.
Allardyce, I, 136.