Happy!- July 20 (Elgin)

Subject: Happy!- July 20 (Elgin)
From: Abby Sale
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 09:37 AM


Happy Birthday!

Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin

was born July 20, 1766
(d11/14/1841)

He's the guy what stole the Elgin Marbles from Athens c.1800. It also seems he was having it off with the wife of Thomas Hay Marshall, later Provost of Perth. Her name was Rosie Anderson.

          There was an assembly into Perth, and Rosey she was there;
          Lord Elgin danced with her that night, and did her heart ensnare,
          Lord Elgin danced with her that night, and then conveyed her home;
          Hay Marshall he came rushing in before he left the room.
  
                  "Rosie Anderson," Ord's Bothy Songs and Ballads, 1930

[thanx George Hawes] Howard Kaplan notes that Rosie Anderson eventually went mad. It does raise the interesting question of whether Rosie lost her marbles before or after Elgin found his.

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Subject: RE: Happy!- July 20 (Elgin)
From: sapper82
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 04:47 PM

No he did not steal the marbles, he bought them from the then legal authorities.

Subject: RE: Happy!- July 20 (Elgin)
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 05:02 PM

Not quite the whole story, sapper, pretty dirty deals and that. Fair and square it wasn't. Even caused a stir in his day.