Gow, Neil, a famous Scotch fiddler, born at Inver, near Dunkeld, of lowly origin; during his long life he enjoyed a wide popularity amongst the Scotch nobility, his especial patron being the Duke of Atholl; Raeburn painted his portrait on several occasions; he composed over a hundred strathspeys, laments, &c., giving a fresh impulse and character to Scotch music, but his fame rests mainly on his violin playing (1727‒1807).
Definition taken from The Nuttall Encyclopædia, edited by the Reverend James Wood (1907)
Gow, Nathaniel * Gower, John