Marie Cowan

[Stephen Whiteside]

Does anybody know anything about the life of Marie Cowan? She is best known for arranging 'Waltzing Matilda' for James Inglis & Co., manufacturers of 'Billy Tea'. This was a critical early step in the future popularity of the song, and is the version still most popular today. She was a musical arranger, and was married to the accountant of James Inglis & Co. - which is how she came to get the gig. She died in 1919. Beyond that, I know nothing about her. I have failed to track down her death certificate, and even begin to wonder if she did not die in Australia.

The reason for my interest is that my father said there was a family story that we were related to her. His mother's maiden name was 'Cowen' - spelt with an 'e' rather than an 'a' though, spelling being what it was back in those days, that may not be so important. Even if it proves we are not related, it would still be fascinating to find some more out about her. Given her pivotal role in the development of this nation's culture, it is surprising that so little is known about her.

Marie Cowan tends to be seen somewhat as the villain of the piece these days. She popularised a 'corrupted' version of the song (or so some would have it). She (falsely) also became in time credited with having written the tune (not that that is a claim she would ever have made herself, I am sure), thereby turning the lime-light away from Christina Macpherson, who originally provided Paterson with the melody.

[manfredvijars]

Don't know too much about Marie Cowan the musical arranger, but there were a lot of films in my youth about that Italian cowboy - the Loan Aranger ...

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Manfred. I guess that's a start.

[manfredvijars]

No disrespect was intended .... Stephen, do you have a copy of "Waltzing Matilda" - Ballad of the 'Fair Go' by Richard Magoffin?

[Stephen Whiteside]

Not a problem, Manfred. Yes, I do, and I should have thought to check it out. Have done so now. There is a little bit about Marie Cowan in there - certainly information that I did not know, particularly her hostility to the use of the song for advertising purposes - but not much.

[manfredvijars]

Hey Stephen, did you get any further with your inquiries re Marie Cowan ??

[Stephen Whiteside]

Not yet, but I'll keep you posted. Could take a while.

[manfredvijars]

I'll do some 'digging' too ...

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Manfred. That'd be great.

[Stephen Whiteside]

I got in touch with the National Library, and they unearthed an amazing amount of information for me. I won't be able to post it all here, but something very interesting has emerged.

Marie Cowan was born Marie Barr in Bega NSW c.1855. She is said as an adult to have been very fond of Scottish songs.

It is generally accepted that Christina Macpherson based the original tune for 'Waltzing Matilda' upon a band march, 'Thou Bonnie Wood o' Craigielea', that she heard at the Warrnambool races.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. The music to this song was written by James Barr, who was born in Scotland in 1779. He never visited Australia, and emigrated to Canada in 1832. He would have been 76 when Marie Barr was born.

Could James Barr, who wrote the music to 'Thou Bonnie Wood o' Craigielea', be the grandfather of Marie Cowan, who arranged what became the popular version of 'Waltzing Matilda'? It's a tantalising prospect!

I imagine it's still very unlikely, though. I expect Barr is a pretty common name in Scotland. What I need to do now is obtain a copy of Marie Barr's birth certificate, and then her father's birth certificate. The plot thickens!