She was the eldest daughter of John Ramsay L'Amy, of Dunkenny,
in Forfarshire, and was born at Dundee about the commencement of the
year 1762. She was reputed for her beauty, and had numerous suitors for
her hand; but she gave the preference to the Rev. Dr James Lyon,
minister of Glammis, to whom she was married on the 25th of January
1786. Of a highly cultivated mind and most lively fancy, she had early
improved a taste for versifying, and acquired the habit of readily
clothing her thoughts in the language of poetry. She became the mother
of ten children; and she relieved the toils of their upbringing, as well
as administered to the improvement of their youthful minds, by her
occasional exercises in verse. Her four volumes of MS. poetry contain
lyrics dated as having been written from the early period of her
marriage to nearly the time of her decease. The topics are generally
domestic, and her strain is lively and humorous; in pathetic pieces she
is tender and singularly touching. Possessed of a correct musical ear,
she readily parodied the more popular songs, or adapted words to their
airs, with the view of interesting her friends, or producing good humour
and happiness in the family circle. She had formed the acquaintance of
Neil Gow, the celebrated violinist, and composed, at his particular
request, the words to his popular tune "Farewell to Whisky,"--the only
lyric from her pen which has hitherto been published.
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