Elizabeth STIRLING (bef1683-1756)

Individual Events and Attributes

Marriage

Individual Note

Book: "The five sons of Bare Betty" by A.C, Murray:

Elizabeth, who married at 16, displayed form her early teens an independence of character which not infrequently led her into eccentricities, and hse handed on to her sons the traits she herslef possessed of vivacity and original wit in thoought, speech and action. In his "Scotland and Scotsmen" Ramsey tells us an intertesing and amusing anecdote. A somewhat rash Edinburgh minister when conducting "public examinations" referred to Miss Elizabeth as "Betty Stirling". This caused deep offence to the dignity of the young lady: "Mistress Betty" or "Miss Betty", she said in tones of scathing rebuke, was the style of address to which she was accustomed, but certainly not "bare Betty". Needless to say, after this incident, she was always known in Edinburgh and district as "bare Betty".

When a man, who was deeply in love with her, told her that he was ready to lay down his life for her sake, "Oh," she said, "I do not believe you would part with a little joint of your little finger for my whole body." Next day the gentleman returned, and presented her triumphantly with the joint of one of his little fingers. But he was dumbfounded when she gave him a peremptory refusal, "for," said she, "the man who has no mercy on his own flesh will certainly not spare mine."

But despite this mercurial turn "bare Betty had a tender side to her character, and was much beloved by all her family.