In 1781 Longman & Broderip published a dance with this name but a different figure. Book 1 attributes this to Nathaniel Gow, but I have been unable to find any choreographies published by him (though lots of music). The earliest source I can find is from the Lowes who write:

Down the middle, and up again; reel three and three across the dance, the Lady with the first couple, and the Gentleman with the second; set and turn corners; then set, and turn partners.

The first dance in the first book of the (R)SCDS is Petronella.

According to the RSCDS (Book 1) this dance was "introduced" by Nathaniel Gow, a composer and musician of Edinburgh, in 1820. Although Gow published many tunes (including this one), I have been unable to find any choreographies by him.

Book 1 also says the dance was published in a book called The Ball-Room, 1827 (no editor, or publisher, or location given), actually the book is titled The Ball-Room, or the Juvenile Pupil's Assistant; Containing the Most Fashionable Quadrilles, with Les Lanciers of Sixteen, As Danced in the Public & Private Assemblies in Paris and the author is J. P. Boulogne, but, again, I can't find this work.

The earliest description of the figure I've found was published by the Lowes in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide. of 1831. The Lowes published in Edinburgh, and their book has three sub-categories of country dance: English, Scotch and Irish. Petronella is categorized as an "English Country Dance". They describe it thusly:

First couple chassé round to the right, and set in the middle; round to the right again, and set on the sides; to the right again, and set in places; down the middle, up again, and pousette.

By 1853, the Lowes had become just Joseph Lowe, and he published a somewhat different version in his Lowe's Selection of Popular Country Dances (courtesy of the National Library of Scotland):

First couple turn round to the right, and set opposite to each other in the middle of the Dance (4 Bars). Again round to the right, and set on the sides of the Dance, (4 Bars) Again round to the right, and set in the middle, (4 Bars) Again to the right and set in places. (4 Bars) First couple down the middle and up again. (8 Bars) Poussette with top couple. (8 Bars)

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

In ~1868 H. D. Wilcock in Ball-Room Guide; A Manual of Dancing page 70, writes:

1. First couple turn round to the right, and set in centre of dance (4)
2. Turn to the opposite side and set (4)
3. Turn to centre and set (4)
4. Turn and set in places (4)
5. Lead down the middle and up again (8)
6. Pousette (8)

In 1868 Elias Howe in The Pianist's Matinee: A Collection of Music for the Piano-Forte, writes:

First couple turn round to the right, and balance opposite to each other in the middle of the dance. (4 bars) Again round to the right, and balance on the sides of the dance. (4 bars) Again to the right, and balance in the middle. (4 bars) Again to the right, and balance in places. (4 bars) First couple down the middle and up again (8 bars) Right and left with the next couple. (8 bars)

In ~1872 J. F. Wallace in The Excelsior Manual of Dancing, (Glasgow), writes:

1. First couple turn to their right and set in centre of dance (4 bars)
2. Turn into each other's place and set (4)
3. Again turn to centre by right and set (4)
4. Turn to places and set, (4)
5. Down the centre and back, (8)
6. Poussette, (8)

In 1897 in D. Anderson's Ball-Room and Solo Dance Guide, (Dundee)

Time 2-4

Turn to right in centre with two steps facing each other, then set to each other with two steps.

Turn into each other's places with next two steps then set with other two steps.

Turn to right in centre facing each other with two steps then set to each other with two steps.

Turn into places next two steps then set with other two steps (the four quarter turns describe the figure of a diamond).

First gent then leads his partner down the centre and back to places, the first and second couples pousette.

Repeat from the beginning other three times

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

Note: Anderson very explicitly says the lead down and back returns to places, while fifty years earlier it had an implied cast off. That means his "pousette" must be progressive, though he does not say that explicitly.

Many pages later in the book Anderson defines a "Petronella Step". He does not explicitly say it is for petronella turns, rather he says This Step may also be used for Contra Dances, Circassian Circle, etc., in setting to partners, but must never be used for Quadrilles.

PETRONELLA STEP.

Stand in 1st position.

Hop out on right foot in 2nd position.

Bring left foot in front in 5th position.

Beat behind with right.

Hop out on left foot in 2nd position.

Bring right foot down in front in 5th position.

Beat behind with left.

In ~1898 J. Scott Skinner in The People's Ball Room Guide, (Dundee), writes:

This is one of the very prettiest Country Dances we have.

The dancers are arranged in the usual way.

First lady and opposite gentleman advance to the centre, one, two, three, and turn with toes to right. Then they execute the first quickstop twice.

They advance to the opposite side and set.

They advance to the centre and set.

They advance and set in places, having thus, with their successive movements described the figure of a diamond.

Then down the centre, back, and pousette.

There is a tune "Petronella" for this dance. "Meg Merrilees" suits it admirably.

While in the book Prompting: How To Do It by John M. Schell, published Boston, 1890.

First couple balance to side (4); balance to center (4); balance to side (4); balance to center (4); first couple down centre and back, cast off (8); right and left (8).

Back in Scotland, in Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, says:

1. First couple advance to the centre of the dance, turning round to the right and set.
2. Advance to the opposite side and set.
3. Advance to the centre side and set.
4. Advance and set in places.
5. Down the center and up again.
6. Pousette.

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

Note that in 1831 the 1s simply chassé into position with no turn, but by 1868 they are turning into the middle, then in 1924 the (R)SCDS describes the figure:

1st woman moves from A to B with two pas de basque, leading off with the right foot and making a three-quarter turn by the right, in the middle of which she has her back to her partner.
1st man moves similarly from C to D.

The modern contra figure seems similar to that described by Wilcock in 1868.

As this dance is rather boring for the 2s a number of variations have arisen.

This dance was probably danced for about a hundred years before anyone bothered to publish it. The earliest Scottish source I can find is Smyth in 1830 who writes:

At the commencement, the Gentlemen place their partners at the end of the room, and stand either before or beside them.— If before them, all four begin at once, but if otherwise the Ladies must begin first, each person describing the figure eight, and the Gentlemen set to the Ladies alternately.

The Lowes in ~1831 write:

Before commencing the Reel of Four, the Gentlemen place their partners upon opposite sides of the room, or at the ends, and stand either before or beside them; if before them, all the four must begin at once; but if otherwise, the Ladies ought to begin first; each person describes the figure of eight, and the Gentlemen set to the Ladies alternately.

Arthur Miller, Leeds, 1900 writes:

In commencing the Reel of Four, the gentlemen stand back to back, with their partners opposite them, all commence at the one time. Each person describes the figure 8. The gentlemen pass the ladies on the right hand; gentlemen pass each other in the centre, pass on the left; the ladies always return to their first places, gentlemen change places every time with each other, eight bars.

All set to each other, eight bars.

Unfortunately this description is misleading. The figure of a reel for four people is not a figure eight, it's a figure eight with an extra loop. The Fletts kindly point this out.

The Fletts also mention that the reel should be performed "giving shoulders", that is when passing someone of the opposite sex in the reel the shoulder closest to that person should lead (so the dancers are almost back to back), while when passing someone of the same sex the outside shoulder should lead (so the dancers are almost face to face). The RSCDS says nothing of this, but doesn't say not to do it either...

Although the glory of the dance is in the various setting steps used, the arms were also involved. The Fletts say that the most common position was for the dancers to hold their arms akimbo. Though the gentlemen often raised their arms (one, or both, or alternating), and the ladies sometimes raised theirs, and sometimes used them to hold their skirts out.

The earliest written description of the dance actually comes from Thomas Wilson's Analysis of Country Dancing, London, 1808 (page 120). His version is rather different. It starts with two facing couples, each couple turns (I presume a two hand turn), and then everyone turns their opposite, that repeats (turn partner, turn opposite), then the 1st couple crosses in between the second and hey with them. On the second iteration the 2nd couple cross to hey with the 1st.

The RSCDS attributes this to Mozart Allan's Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, Glasgow, ~1895, and a dance with this name is in that work, but it occurred elsewhere earlier. Both Smyth and the Lowes published it in about 1830, I think Smyth was earlier.

Smyth, in 1830, page 32, writes:

Four hands across and back again, down the middle and up again, Ladies out side and back again, and pousette,

The Lowes, in 1831, page 107, writes:

Four hands across; down the middle; up again; lead out to the sides, three and three in line, (The Lady between the two Gentlemen, and the Gentleman between the two Ladies); back again, and pousette with the top couple.

These clearly describe the same dance.

It seems likely to me that the hands across, should be back again to fill out eight bars.

Both Smyth and the Lowes use "down the middle and up again" as a progressive move. (and poussette is not)

But if the Lowes are to be believed it should leave the 1s in 2nd place improper (note the 2s aren't improper, so the change can't happen in the hands across). So presumably they wheel around at the bottom rather than turning individually.

But how do the 1s become proper again? We could have the 1s do half a draw poussette, and half a regular poussette but I'm not aware of any draw poussettes in 19th century dances so that doesn't seem a good solution.

lead out to the sides ... back again usually takes 4 bars... Summing up all the figures leaves 28 bars, so perhaps a four bar movement was omitted?

Smyth (an Edinburgh dancing teacher) and the Lowes (also Edinburgh dancing teachers) classify this as a "Scotch Country Dance". Both spell the dance "Rachel Rae".

In Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, Glasgow, ~1895, the dance has become Rachael Rae.

1. The first and second couples right hands across, round and back with left hands.
2. Lead out to the sides, three and three in line, the lady between the two gentlemen, and the gentlemen between the two ladies.
3. Back again, and pousette with the top and second couples.

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

The RSCDS attributes this to Mozart Allan's Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, Glasgow, ~1895, and a dance with this name and figure is in that work, but it occurred elsewhere earlier.

Johnson published a dance called Rock and a Wi Pickle in 1742, but the figure is completely different.

The Lowes write:

First couple cross over, giving the right hand, and cast off one couple; cross back again, giving the left hand, and up to places; four hands round, and back again; down the middle, and up again, and pousette.

If you look at other dances by the Lowes you will find that "down the middle and up" is progressive, and "poussette" is not. This is at variance with the RSCDS which does the reverse, but is quite in keeping with 19th century dances.

The RSCDS attributes this to Allan's Ball-Room Guide, ~1880, but it appeared earlier.

Rutherford published a dance with this name in 1756, but it does not match this figure.

Smyth writes:

Four hands across half round and pousette, back to places, the first couple down the middle and turn half round and up again, four hands round at top, then turn to proper sides.

The Lowes write something similar:

Cross hands half round and pousette back to places; the first couple down the middle, and turn half round; up again and hands four at top; then turn to proper sides.

Finally Allan writes:

1. First and second couples right hand across and half round, back to places with pousette.
2. First couple down the centre, turning half round and up again.
3. First and second couples right hands across and round turning into places.

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

The RSCDS claims this is "from the Border Country".

The Lowes write:

The first Lady crosses over, and sets between the second and third Gentlemen; the first Gentleman the same, and sets between the second and third Ladies; the six in hand advance and retire, and hands three round on the sides; pousette by the first and second couples.

The Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary attributes this to Gow, 1822, while the SCDDB says "Unknown" (1822). As far as I can tell, Gow did not publish any choreographies, though he did publish music. I can't find any publications from 1822 which appear appropriate.

However, in Lowes' Ball-Conductor and Assembly Guide, Edinburgh, ~1831 the the Lowes write:

First couple join hands, and set to second Lady; same to second Gentleman; down the middle, and up again; four hands across, and back again, and pousette at top.

RSCDS Book 12 says "collected in the Border Country."

RSCDS Book 13 says "collected in Fife.

Goulding published a dance of this name in his Twenty-four Country Dances for the Year 1812, but the figure is different and the music is shorter.

In about 1831, the Lowes wrote:

The first Lady turns off, and goes half round two couples; at the same time her partner follows her, and (bringing her back by the promenade) turns her into her place; she then goes down the middle, her partner following her, and bringing her back by the promenade; they join hands four round with the second couple, and advance and retire; then cross hands fully round, and turn partners half round by the right hand; they join hands round again, and advance and retire, then pousette.

The Lowes call this an "Irish Country Dance".

Smyth writes:

Place the Ladies as for a set of Quadrilles, and the Gentleman in the centre. The Gentleman with the first and third Ladies make a reel of three, while the other two Ladies circle round them. All set, during which the gentleman turns to each Lady alternately, he then forms the reel of three with the other two Ladies, and set as before.

A year later, the Lowe brothers published a very similar version:

(Places — one Lady at the top of the room, one at the bottom, one at each side, and the Gentleman in the middle.) The Gentleman, with two of the Ladies, makes a reel of three, while the other two Ladies circle round them; all set, during which the Gentleman turns to each Lady alternately; he then forms the reel of three with the other two Ladies.

The earliest written description of the dance actually comes from Thomas Wilson's Analysis of Country Dancing, London, 1808 (page 125). Wilson provides two versions, the first is similar to this one, except that instead of orbiting the set during the reel, the inactive dances cross through the reel (and then cross back) instead. The other version, which he claims is the "common reel" reads:

The Lady in the middle at B, heys with the Ladies at A C, then sets to them, she then sets to the Gentlemen at F D; then heys with the Gentlemen at F D, which brings one of them into the centre, so that they all progressively occupy every situation in the figure.

Unfortunately his description of the progression omits some vital movements.

The RSCDS claims that J. Grahamsley Atkinson, Jun. was the source for this dance in his Scottish National Dances - A Practical Handbook, Edinburgh, 1900, but Smyth was there first, and Wilson before him. Atkinson doesn't mention music; the RSCDS says it should be a strathspey/reel medley.

The Lowes write:

The first Lady makes a chassé round, and sets between the second and third Ladies; she does the same again, and sets betwixt the third and fourth Ladies; she repeats the same turning up behind the Ladies to her place; and when she commences dancing up, her partner dances down behind the Gentlemen with the same steps; the Gentleman finishes betwixt the third couple, and goes three hands round with them; whilst his partner does the same with the second, they pass through below the hands, and meet in the middle, and pousette with the second couple.

The instructions mention the fourth couple, which is rare. Might this be a quadruple minor? (Kyneston devised a few around 1720, so it is possible but very unlikely) but the 4th lady doesn't do anything, nor do the 1s go below her, so it's more likely that Lowe is just following the 19th century's convention of having a neutral couple between every triplet. Ignoring that one phrase the rest of the dance seems like a normal triple minor.

Miss Milligan's Miscellany attributes this dance to Mozart Allan's Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, ~1880 in which it is called "Clydesdale Lassies". However the Lowes published it fifty years earlier as "Clydeside Lasses".

The Lowes write:

Four hands round; down the middle, and up again; pousette, and right and left.

It is worth noting that to the Lowes "down the middle, and up again" was a progressive figure, while "pousette" was not.

The RSCDS attributes this dance to Mozart Allan's Allan's Reference Guide to the Ball-Room, ~1880 but it appears much earlier than that.

1. Three hands round on the ladies' side, the same on the gentlemen's side.
2. Down the centre and up again.
3. Pousette.
4. Right and left to places.

Courtesy of National Library of Scotland, licensed under:

Smyth in 1830 writes:

Three hands round on the Ladies' side, the same on the Gentlemen's, down the middle and up again, pousette, right and left once round,

In 1788 the Thompsons published an early version:

Three Ladies Promenade round the three Gent. Three Gent. round the Ladies Lead down the middle up again and cast off Allemand with your Partner