The Earl of Errol is child ballad 231, existing in several variants.
Contents
Synopsis
The earl marries; the bride, if named, is Kate; some variants mention the agreement about her dowry.
In various combinations, though always in the order:
In one variant, where she had fled, her sister angrily declares that she would not have shamed her lord like that.
In most, however, the earl takes a mistress (often named Peggy or Meggie), and she bears him a son ninth months later. If the bride had not fled, he sends her back to her father.
Commentary
The earl in question appears to be Gilbert Hay, 11th Earl of Erroll, and the bride, Catherine Carnegie, second daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Southesk. They married on January 7, 1658, but were childless. A court case was brought about their marriage—if it went unconsummated, the dowry was not due—but the details have been lost.