the winters were usually spent in edinburgh and under the care of lady burchan she made her first appearance at a ball, her first dancing partner being the earl of minto. in the following autumn of 1797 her father was caught up in a mutiny while serving as flag-captain under admiral duncan on , but the battle of camperdown against the dutch fleet was won. her father was knighted and made colonel of marines. her eldest brother died at the age of twenty-one in calcutta while serving in the east india company's military service. the family had hoped that he would make a sufficient fortune in a few years to enable him to come home again.