William Marshall was a Scottish composer. He is regarded as one of the greatest composers of traditional Scottish fiddle music. He was born into very poor circumstances in Fochabers, Scotland and as a young man worked for the Duke of Gordon, eventually working his way to position of Factor to the Gordon estate. He is credited by Scottish music experts with writing more than 257 tunes and songs. He had no formal training in music. Many of his compositions were named in honor of the Duke of Gordon's guests. Famed Scottish poet Robert burns called Marshall "the first composer of Strathspeys of the age." Marshall did not limit his interests to music. He was also a clock maker and built a wide variety of timekeeping devices. He built a water clock and an astronomical clock that are both still functional today.

His first collection of tunes, dated 1781, was entitled A Collection of Strathspey Reels with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsichord. It was engraved by James Johnson, who often and famously collaborated with Burns. The twelve-page collection contains 36 tunes and include titles such as, "Marquis of Huntly's Reel," "Mrs. Gordon of Bellie's Reel," and "Arthur's Seat." Marshall did not only enjoy playing and writing music, he was also an accomplished performer and loved to dance to traditional Scottish music. Contemporaries stated that he "was a capital dancer, and exhibited great lightness and agility in that amusement when he was eighty years old." He was also skilled in falconry and participated with zest in trials of strength, including throwing the hammer.

A later collection, published in 1822, included the tune "Craigellachie Bridge," which is still often played by fiddlers today. Marshall had a strong interest in mechanical things, which is apparent in a letter written to his son, in 1814: "The Bridge of Craig-ellachie is now finished, and a beautiful piece of workmanship it is -- It is 150 feet span, and the Iron work above, extends to 170...is also beautiful, and will be of the greatest utility and convenience...to the whole Country in general."

His interest in the mechanical and technical was perhaps best reflected in his last collection, published posthumously in 1845. The tunes "The Farewell," "The Earl of Seafield," and "Duchess of Gordon," reflect the highly technical nature of many of his compositions, which can still present a challenge to fiddlers today.

Image: William Marshall (1817) by John Moir (1775-1857)