Meg Merrilees ~ Karpeles

Clementi published a dance of this name in London, but with a different figure (the book is undated, but Clementi published between 1798 and ~1828).

In 1830 Smyth writes:

The two first couple figure partners first by the right and then by the left, all four down the middle arm in arm and up again, pousette and right and left.

The Lowes write:

First Lady swings the second Gentleman, first by the right hand, then by the left; at the same time the first Gentleman does the same with the second Lady; all four down the middle arm in arm, and up again, pousette, and right and left.

The Lowes' instructions suggest that the 1s must be improper though there is nothing specific in the text to confirm this.

In about ~1936 Maud Karpeles collected a dance of this name from Vermont and in it the 1s are improper. She published it in English Dance & Song

A Longways Country Dance

This dance is included in a printed collection of country dances belonging to a folk-fiddler in Vermont, who kindly allowed me to copy some of the material. The book lacks a title-page, but it is not of any great age— perhaps early nineteenth century. The dance-figures of "The Twin Sisters" were also taken from this book.

The following is a transcription of the notation:

Duple Minor Set

(First couple improper)"

B1B2

A1	1-4	First woman and second man turn with right hands, whilst first man and second woman do likewise.
	5-8	As above with left hands.
		All four stand in line, first couple in the middle, and link arms. All move down eight steps and fall back into original places.
		First and second couples swing and change.

(It is hard for me to believe that a book which uses the term "duple minor" dates from the early nineteenth century. As far as I know that phrase (as it applies to country dance) was invented by Cecil Sharp in 1909. Similarly, "improper" is an old dance term, but it faded from used by the end of the 18th century. I have only found it once in a 19th century document. Again Sharp brought it back into use in 1909. Finally, "swing" meant about 6 different things in the 19th century; in the early part of that century it most commonly meant a right hand turn (which is not what it means here). The first certain use of the modern partner swing that I have found is in Sharp, 1909 in the UK and Burchenal, 1918 in the US. So if this is an accurate transcription then I think Karpeles is off on her estimate of the book's age by about a century.)

(The word "whilst" is unusual in the US and more common in the UK making me think that the text of the dance comes from the UK. However all the Scottish sources I have for the dance end with a poussette, so changes have been made. And I only have American sources for the dance "The Twin Sisters".)