- Reid, General John
[E] Reid, General John (born Robertson),
musician, and founder of the Edinburgh[+] Professorship of music, was born at Straloch,
Perthshire, February 13, 1721 [1720]. Son
of Alexander Robertson of Straloch. He
studied at Edinburgh University. Lieu-
tenant in the Earl. of Loudon's Regiment,
1745 ; afterwards became a General in the
Army. He died at London, February 6,
1807.[W] Works. — A Set of Minuets and Marches,
inscribed to the Right Hon. Lady Catherine
Murray, by J— R— , Esq., London [1770].
(Bremner). [Contains the well-known air,
" The Garb of Old Gaul," to verses of Sir H.
Erskine, of Alva.] Six Solos for a German
Flute or Violin, with a Thorough-bass for
the Harpsichord, by J — R — , Esq., a Member
of the Temple of Apollo, London, n.d. (Os-
wald). There have also been escribed to
him " Three Grand Marches, and Three
Quicksteps for a Full Military Band, by an
Eminent Master," London, n.d.[+] General Reid directed in his will that,
subject to the life-rent of his daughter, the
sum of £.52,000 should be applied to founding
a Chair of Music in Edinburgh University,
and that an annual concert (to include a full
military band) should be given on his birth-
day, at which was to be performed some
specimens of his own composition, to show
the style of music that prevailed about the
middle of last century. The chair was in-
stituted- in 1839, when a sum of between
£70,000 and £80,000 became available. The
succession of Professors has been John
Thomson, 18.39; Sir Henry Bishop, 18i2 ;
Henry Hugo Pierson, 1844 ; John Donaldson,
1845; Sir Herbert Stanley Oakeley, 1865;
Friedrich Niecks, 1889.entry id: 340-R-62
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