Test/Golden Pheasant

harry ways

Message 21816 · 5 Jul 2000 04:20:19 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

Marilynn Knight wrote:

> Harry,
> Why would a dance be named in their honor? Or is it incidental?

Digging deep in my files I found a little booklet "Scottish Country Dancing,
History, Suppositions and Interpretations" by W. R. Gibbs. Regarding The
Golden Pheasant, he notes:
"This bird is not native to Scotland but was introduced by the famous
Murray family, the chief of which is the Duke of Atholl ----having made a
search amongst the records of Blair Castle, Mr. Thomas P. Stewart, factor of
the estate writes, I have ascertained that a cross-breed Golden Pheasant was
shot here in 1886, and therefore there must have been pure-bred Golden
Pheasants here before then. I also know that Lady Amherst pheasants were
introduced probably about 1860-1870 and it is possible that both breeds were
introduced at the same time."

Sounds as if we need a dance for Lady Amherst!

Harry