On the 17^th May 1805 the Highland Society of Scotland wrote to General Robertson of Lude, in Perthshire about the two old Scottish Harps belonging to his family. General Robertson replied offering to send the harps to Edinburgh, where upon the Society recruited John Gunn to examine and draw up a report on the two instruments. The harp now known as the Queen Mary had already been restrung with wire strings by Mr Wood, a local musical instrument maker and then on two occasions played to members of the Society by Mr Elouis, ‘the celebrated performer on the Pedal Harp’ who was perhaps the last professional harper to play on that venerable instrument.[1]

Mr Elouis’s acquaintance with Edinburgh seems to have commenced earlier that year when on the 5^th  February he gave a concert on the Pedal Harp at the Assembly Rooms in George Street. Two days later on the 7^th , the Edinburgh Evening Courant contained an advertisement placed by Elouis thanking the patrons of his concert and indicating that having been requested to remain in Edinburgh, he was going to England on business but would be back in three weeks and would be happy to give lessons to those Ladies who had applied.[2]

It is not clear why at this point Elouis decided to switch his permanent base to Edinburgh. He had been established in London, probably by 1794 when he published an arrangement for the harp which was printed by J Dale, London, although as the title was mostly in French it might indicate he had not long arrived.[3] According to a newspaper advert he placed in 1797 under the title ‘Pedal Harp Manufactory’ he was by then selling harps made ‘under his immediate inspection’ and in the course of a fairly long advert offers as proof of his expertise the fact that he had ‘the honour of teaching the Harp to the most illustrious Personages of this Kingdom, or twenty–five years Practice and the advantage of being bred to the Profession’. The instruments seem to have been marketed under the name ‘Swell Harps’ and as he also described himself as Harp Maker to Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of York and Duke of Gloucester had apparently achieved some degree of status.[4]

He is usually described as being either French or sometimes Swiss, but certainly he was French speaking and his first name was usually given as Joseph, although after his arrival in Edinburgh he seems to have changed to using John. On the 24th February 1806, the year following his return to Edinburgh he was advertising for subscribers to his proposed first volume of ‘100 Scottish Songs’ application to be made to his home at 2 Union Place, at the head of Leith Walk.[5] On the 10th April Elouis was inviting subscriptions for both volumes and by the 5th June the first volume was published and obtainable from Elouis at his home address.[6] The second volume was advertised as published on the 19th March 1808, by which time Elouis had moved to 21 North Hanover Street where according to his entry in the Edinburgh Post Directory he was described as a Harp Teacher.[7]

Elouis had arranged the music to work as either instrumental pieces, or accompaniment to the songs whose versions had been ‘conflated’ by Mrs Elouis. He laid great stress on the fact that his arrangements were in sympathy with the traditional Scottish idiom. In the preface to the first volume he states;– ‘It is generally allowed that modern embellishments or introductory and concluding Symphonies added to Scottish Airs create a want of unity which destroys their characteristic originality and lovers of Scottish Music observe with regret that most of the best melodies literally sink under the burden of foreign graces and intricate embellishments ........ The following accompaniments will betray no desire of shining at the expense of the subject, they contain no arpeggios or showy passages, (for the author considers such as incompatible with the simplicity of Scottish Song), and they are the only ones ever published for Harp, (it is most probable that Scottish airs were originally composed for the harp), which can be performed on that instrument and piano with or without the voice’.

Those thoughts were re-emphasised by Elouis in the Advertisement for the second volume in a passage that is also worth quoting; ‘I have also rejected introductory and concluding Symphonies, and likewise difficult Accompaniments loaded with superfluous notes & extraneous passages — Symphonies: because it is the decided and well founded opinion of the first judges, that they form an incongruous and inadmissible contrast of ancient and modern style, which gives a foreign cast to the Scottish Airs, effaces their peculiar and characteristic originality and creates an absolute want of unity — Difficult Accompaniments, because they overpower the Scottish Melodies and give them the appearance of a mere secondary part. That neither talents nor ingenuity can render such Accompaniments compatible with the Scottish Airs is strongly exemplified by those of the great composer Hadyn, which although replete with merit, give no idea of Scottish Music; and for that reason, may be compared to a portrait exquisitely painted, but deficient in resemblance’.

It is possible that he gained this awareness of the Scottish idiom through his time spent with the Earl of Eglinton and his family in Ayrshire. Elouis dedicated his first volume to Lady Montgomery and the second to the Earl. Hugh Montgomery the 12th Earl of Eglinton, (1739–1819), had a considerable reputation as a musician. He composed ‘Three Duetts for Two German Flutes by an Amateur’, (pub London c 1790), and his more popular ‘New Strathspey Reels composed by a Gentleman’ which was published by Nathaniel Gow, (Edin 1795), as well as a number of songs.[8] One source, Mathew Hall, a cellist who played for dances at Coilsfield House and Eglinton Castle, the Egglinton family homes, is quoted as saying that the Earl generally took part at the concerts there on the violoncello and the harp.[9]

It was the Earl’s daughter, Lady Jane Montgomery who is shown in a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds with a harp, apparently being held in the Old Scottish fashion on the left shoulder. Her courtesy title of ‘Countess Jane’ seems to have been acquired during the minority of her nephew the 13th Earl who was only 7 years old when he inherited the title from his grandfather the 12th Earl.[10]

That the connection between Elouis, the Montgomery family and Ayrshire had probably occurred prior to 1805 is suggested by the presence of the Band of the Ayrshire Militia as the supporting artists at Elouis’s Edinburgh Concert. The cultural centre that formed around the Eglinton family at that period included John Murphy the Irish piper, (died 1818), and this may have been where Elouis gained the idea of adding some Scottish and Irish airs with variations to his two volumes of Scots songs. It is clear from the introduction to volume two that Elouis had visited Ireland, probably including Cork, since among the subscribers with identifiable Irish addresses some 19 out of 26 come from in or near Cork.

Although Elouis was now living in Edinburgh he travelled to perform, ‘after having concluded his engagement at Blackhall [he] was requested to visit Aberdeen where he had a public performance on the pedal harp on Thursday 8 October 1807. His patrons on that occasion were the Patrons and the stewards of the October meeting and several of the most distinguished families of the North of Scotland’.[11]

On the 23 May 1808 the Edinburgh Evening Courant recorded the birth on Saturday 21 May at Edinburgh of a daughter to Mrs Elouis, and on the 28th February 1810 another daughter was born, bringing the family up to at least three girls. It was probably the pressure of the growing family that caused Elouis to move later that year to number 55 North Hanover Street, where his entry in the Post Directory continued to list him as a Harp Teacher.

The following year Elouis made one of his few public performances in Edinburgh. It was to be held on Wednesday 20 March 1811 at the Assembly Rooms, and according to the first advertisement of the 9th march was to feature a duet for two harps with his pupil Henry Horn. The advetisement was repeated on the 11 March with the addition of a list of patrons and a note that the concert would commence at 8 pm, with tickets priced at 5 shillings, which could be obtained at Wilson and Co at 21 George Street. A further two advertisements then added that ‘The Band of the Perthshire Militia is engaged to play several pieces from the works of the most esteemed authors’.[12]

Following the custom, the Courant of the 23 March contained a ‘Card’ from Elouis who ‘has the honour to return his most grateful thanks to his noble and distinguished Patronesses and the company who favoured him with their presence at his concert’. The paper also contained a short review of the concert;– ‘Mr Elouis and his pupil Mr Henry Horn were received with great and well deserved applause at the Assembly Rooms on Wednesday last. The duets for two harps had a wonderful and truly charming effect. Mr Horn performed on the harp Steibelts celebrated concert of ‘La Chasse’ a task which we should have thought almost impossible on that instrument but of which he acquitted himself in an unrivalled manner and with the greatest apparent ease. We understand that this young artist is to have a benefit concert in a few days and we hope to see his eminent talents meet with adequate support from a discriminating public’. [13]

While living in Edinburgh Elouis continued to visit London, as a number of the arrangements listed in the entry for Elouis in the British Library Catalogue of Printed Music were printed in London during his Edinburgh years. Indeed he seems to have been a prolific arranger and publisher. In February 1809 the Edinburgh Courant had contained an advertisement for both volumes of the 100 favourite Scottish Airs by Elouis at one guinea each volume, then continued with;– “Just published also arranged with variations for pianoforte or the harp by J Elouis, Madame Catalanis favourite song ‘Papa’ dedicated to Miss C. Hay.

‘Nel cor pianon mi sento’, (known as Hope told a flattering tale), dedicated to Miss E and Miss T Carnegie of Southesk

‘O dolce concento’

‘The Portuguese Hymn Adeste Fideles’

‘The celebrated recitative and air in Semiramide, Son Regina’, dedicated to Miss Margaret Whyte Melville.

And other publications by the same author’

In Edinburgh they are available from Muir, Wood and Co and in London from Robert Birchall, music seller or from Goulding and Co of New Bond Street”.[14]

In January 1814 Mrs Dahmen arrived in Edinburgh to give a concert in Corri’s Rooms on the 25th. part of the programme involved a duet with Mrs Dahmen on pianoforte and Mr Elouis on Harp. Elouis went on to play a solo with variations of his harp arrangement of Catalanis air ‘Frenas vorrel le longrime’ which as ‘Frenas vorrel le longrime in the opera of Semiramide composed by Portogallo’ was printed for Elouis in London the following year. [15] Another advertisement appeared in June 1816 headed ‘New Harp Music’, Rudiments for Double and Single movement Harps — lessons by Henry Horn Professor of the Harp, Swiss melodies with variations by Henry Horn and also included ‘Air by Gluck arranged by J Elouis’.[16]

During September 1818 Mr Corri produced a number of Grand Musical Entertainments featuring the singers Madame Fodor, Signora Corri and Signor Agrisani. This prompted Elouis to place an advert headed ‘Music’ for;–

‘Non je ne veux par chanter’ the celebrated air and bravura sung by Madame Fodor’

‘Popa’ sung by Madame Catalini and Signora Corri

‘Batti batti’ in the opera of Il Don Giovanni

‘Presto Presto’ in the same opera

‘Frenar vorrie’

‘Uad pailor qual tema’

‘O doice concento’

‘Lo conassco a quegli occhietto’

‘Pardelfetto Graziosetto’

‘Nel car pin nou mi sento or Hope told a flattering Tale & Co & Co’.

The whole of the above music and a variety of other pieces arranged for the Harp or Pianoforte by Mr Elouis and each performed simultaneously by the ladies of his harp classes, to be had of Mr Elouis, 55 North Hanover Street and the Music Shops. N.B. Also his selection of One Hundred Scots Airs arranged for Harp or Pianoforte.[17]

Another picture of the Ladies of his harp classes is obtained from the memoirs of Elizabeth Grant of Rothiemurchus, (1797–1885). The Grants moved to Edinburgh in 1814 when Mr Grant set up a legal practice there. Elizabeth and her sisters had already commenced harp lessons under the tuition of their governess, a Miss Elphick, but in Edinburgh they were placed under ‘Monsieur Elouis’, where they remained until an unfortunate episode dated in her memoir to 1818.

‘Monsieur Elouis, the harp master, charged so much for his private lessons that my mother suggested to him to follow the Edinburgh fashion of classes at so much a quarter, three lessons a week. He made quite a fortune. There were eight pupils in a class, the lessons lasting two hours. We three, the two Hunters, Grace Stein, (afterwards Lady Don), Amelio Gillio and Catherine Inglis were his best scholars. We played concerted pieces doubling the parts, choruses arranged by him, and sometimes duets or solos, practising in other rooms. The fame of our execution spread over the town, and many persons entreated permission to mount up the long common stair to the poor Frenchman’s garret to listen to such a number of harps played by such handsome girls. One or two of the mammas would have no objection, but my mother and Lady Hunter would not hear of their daughters being part of an exhibition. We went there to learn, not to show off. Miss Elphick, too, had her own ideas upon the subject. She always went with us, and was extremely annoyed by the group of young men si frequently happening to pass down the street just at the time our class dispersed, some of them our dancing partners, so that there were bows and speeches and attendance home, much to her disgust. She waited once or twice till the second class assembled, but the beaux waited too. So then she carried us all off a quarter of an hour too soon, leaving our five companions to their fate: and this not answering long, she set to scold M. Elouis, and called the Edinburgh gentlemen all sorts of names. In the midst of her season of wrath the door of our music room opened one day, and a large fine looking military man, braided and belted and moustached, entered and was invited to be seated. Every harp was silent, ‘Mesdemoiselles’ said M. Elouis with his most polished air of command, ‘recommence if you please; this gentleman is my most particular friend, a musical amateur etc’. Miss Elphick was all in a flame; up she rose, up she made us rise, gather our music together and driving us and Amelia Gillio before her, we were shawled and bonneted in less time than I am writing of it, and on our way downstairs before Monsieur had finished his apologies to the officer and other young ladies. Never was little woman in such a fury. We never returned to the harp classes, neither did the Hunters, and very soon they were given up. It was certainly an unwarrantable liberty, an impertinence, and the man must either have been totally unaware of the sort of pupils he had to find, or else an ill–bred ignorant person. Poor Elouis never recovered the mistake; he had to leave for want of business’.[18]

The first advertisement from Elouis for Harp classes occurs in April 1817; ‘Mr Elouis in compliance with the wishes of many families whose young ladies are to attend immediately will open classes for the harp this week at his house 55 North Hanover Street. Ladies unacquainted with that instrument after a few lessons will be enabled to perform in parts with pupils more advanced according to their degree of proficiency and as Mr Elouis will join example to precept by accompanying the classes himself he trusts that the rapid improvement of his scholars will soon demonstrate the superiorty of this mode of teaching’.[19]

A further advertisement in October of that year indicated that classes were to recommence in December with terms of 4 guineas per quarter and a guinea and a half entrance fee to be paid in advance. This was followed on the 22 December by a ‘Card’ as it was termed, ‘In answer to the numerous enquiries after Mr Elouis return from London his friends beg to inform his scholars that he is expected in Edinburgh in a few days’. The few days presumably extended to the 17 January 1818 when a brief advert advised that Mr Elouis classes for harp are now open. [30]

There is no source other than Miss Elizabeth Grant to confirm the unfortunate episode leading to Elouis’s loss of pupils, however he certainly continued to reside in Edinburgh until 1821 according to the Post Office Directory and it is clear from the Courant that he arranged the first public appearance of Miss Elouis and two of her sisters at the Assembly Rooms in George Street. As the advertisement put it, ‘Concert and performance on the pianoforte by Miss Elouis, (a pupil of the celebrated Ries), and on Erards double action harp by Miss G and Miss Amelia Elouis, (the latter a child born in this city and both pupils of their father), to be held Wednesday 28 March, particulars in a few days. Tickets 5 shillings each, Children under 12 years 3 shillings, to be had at Mr Purdies and of Mr Elouis at 55 Hanover Street’.[21]

The advert was repeated several times before the concert, with the addition of a list of patrons and that the concert would be supported by the band of the Royal Fuzileers. Contrary to Miss Grant’s account the names of the patrons do not suggest the Elouis family had lost the support of the upper levels of Scottish Society.[22]

Following the Concert a ‘Card’ was placed in the paper by Miss Elouis and her sisters Miss georgina and Miss Amelia thanking the patrons for their support. This was followed on the 2nd April by a very favourable review of the event. ‘The Misses Elouis were received with greatest applause at their concert of Wednesday night. Their talents on the harp and pianoforte are of the first class. miss Amelia in the air with variations and a very difficult duet of Naderman went through the most intricate passages with correctness and apparent ease which excited universal admisration, and her sisters in Bochsa’s Military Concerto, Ries Hungarian Air and Panornios Concerto, (dedicated to Ries), showed an almost incredible command of their respective instruments. The two eldest of these young ladies are the same who distinguished themselves so much some years ago at Mr Scott’s public examinations by their astonishing p[owers in arithmetic, and who were rewarded with so many gold medals. The large Assembly Room was crowded in every part with as great an assemblage of rank and fashion as ever we remember to have seen in such an occasion’.[23]

This seems to be the last reference to Elouis in either the Edinburgh Courant or the Post Office Directory, however the following year for 1822/23 a Miss Elouis is listed in the directory at 46 Great King Street where she remained until moving to 2 Stafford Street in 1828/29. This move must have occurred after what was billed as the second appearance in Edinburgh of Miss Elouis at the Assembly Rooms on the 22 March 1828 when ‘Miss Paton will sing and Miss Elouis, (a pupil of Ries), will perform on Grand Piano as performed with unbounded applause at the Rotunda Dublin’ as the tickets were to be had from Miss Elouis at the Great King Street address or from Purdies Music Shop. The advertisement was repeated on the 17 March when the vocalists had increased to two with the addition of a Mr Thorne.[24]

The apartment vacated by Miss Elouis was probably that advertised to let on the 15th May when it was described as the 3rd flat 46 Great King Street, 4 Rooms, Kitchen, bedcloset and water closet.[25] Miss Elouis remained at Stafford Street until 1834/35. She was not listed in 1835/36 or 1836/37 and when she reappears in the 1837/38 Directory it was at a new address at 30 Rutland Square where she remained until the last record of her in Directory of 1844/45. Throughout the period 1834–1845 the directories described her as either a teacher of music and or a teacher of harp and pianoforte.

Like her father, Miss Elouis seems to have taken little part in the general musical productions in Edinburgh and again like her father rarely advertised for pupils in the press. Perhaps significantly on the two occasions that she did in 1829 and 1833, it was to indicate that having ‘returned to Edinburgh from her summer engagements’ and ‘having finished her engagements in the country’ she would resume teaching. [26]

The first complete census of Scotland was undertaken on the 7 June 1841, a time when Miss Elouis was staying at number 30 Rutland Square, a westwards extension of the Edinburgh New Town whose building had commenced around 1820. According to the census the occupants at that time were:– Mary Anne Elouis, aged 40 years, a teacher, born in England, (presumably this was the Miss Elouis of the Directory and Courant adverts). Also listed were Sophia Elouis aged 25 years, also a teacher and again born in England, Charlotte Elouis aged 20 years and Henriette Elouis aged 15 years, both born in St Cuthberts Parish, Edinburgh, Scotland.[27]

If as it would be reasonable to suggest these were the family of Elouis, the age of the youngest would place the date of Elouis death to after 1826, and provides a family of at least six daughters, although perhaps one of those born in 1808 or 1810 may have died young.

During the period that Elouis was staying in Edinburgh the musical life of the city was dominated by the Corri family. Domenico Corri the elder brother moved to London where his daughter Sophia married J.L Dussek. Natali Corri the younger brother remained in Edinburgh and ran Corri's Concert Rooms where his niece Sophia, (Madam Dussek) was to perform on the harp on a number of occasions.[28] This Italian influence was strong and among the harpers who performed in Edinburgh, apart from Madame Dussek, (1805–1812),[29] were Madame Catalani, (1809), Miss Giolivetti, (1813), Snr Negro and Snr Gargano, two ‘professors’ of the harp from Naples, (1817), Mrs Bologna, (1831), and Snr Emiliani, (1833).[30] There were also visits from Mr Bochsa,[31] (1833) and Mr Stockhansen, (1829, 1836 and 1840) and performances by the local artists, a Miss Scott, (1807) and a Miss Paton who was to perform and teach throughout the period 1811–1844, (in the latter years under her married name of Mrs Crawford).[32]

It is with the demand for teaching and the supply of harps however, that the full extent of harping and perhaps the contribution of Elouis may be assessed. The year before his appearance in Edinburgh, S Philip Seybold had been performing and teaching in the city but seems to have departed before Elouis arrived. Initially therefore Elouis would seem to have had little competition, apart from Miss Scott and the exotic Mr Barbiers, formerly as he styled himself, Professor of the Harp in Moscow.[33]

By the year 1817 the number of tutors available had started to increase. In December that year a Mr Thomas Powell arrived from London and advertised his intention to give instructions on the Harp and Piano Forte and by the following January was advertising a Benefit Concert. This provoked a furious response from another resident teacher, Mr J. F. Pole, Professor of the Harp who immediately placed his own advertisement stating that he ‘thinks it his duty in consequence of several mistakes having lately occurred owing to the similarity of his name to that of another teacher recently arrived in town, respectfully to inform his musical friends that Mr Pole’s address is number 3 George Street. N.B. The Irish Airs with variations by Mr Pole may be had as above or at music shops’.[34]

Thomas Powell seems to have departed Edinburgh in 1825, the year his adversary J. F. Pole moved into selling Harps, although continuing to teach. After three years Pole closed the venture to concentrate on teaching which he continued through to 1836. In 1826 William Taylor who described himself as a pupil of Bochsa had also commenced teaching in Edinburgh where he remained until 1836 by which time Henry Dibden had joined the growing band of Harp Tutors.

Among the local suppliers of harps over this period was Robert Purdie who first appeared as a Pianoforte and Harp Tuner in 1808 before, some four years later, moving on to selling the instruments. The music shops of Gow and Son, Penson Robertson & Co and Muir Wood & Co, all seemed to stock and sell harps, both single and double action and the latter company, (which included the Mr Wood who restrung the Queen Mary harp for the Highland Society), must have felt the business was sufficient to justify the local manufacture of harp strings which they commenced in 1817.[35] The strings were advertised as, ‘as good as best Roman’, Roman being the usual description used in adverts for Italian harp and violin strings, although it would seem that the strings were in fact imported from Naples.

Apart from the suppliers of new harps there was, to judge from the adverts in the Edinburgh Courant a demand for second hand instruments. Some of these adverts raise interesting but probably unanswerable questions concerning the circumstances leading to the offers for sale. For example, it was presumably poverty that led to a harp being pawned but not redeemed around 1837.[36]