The record-union., 1896-01-01
THE REAL ANNIE LAURIE.
Some Account of Her and the Goot
Old Scotch SONG


Some Account of Her and the Good
Old Scotch Song.
Most people suppose annie Laurie to
be creation of the songwriter's fancy,
or perhaps some Scotch peasant girl, like
Highland Mary and most OF the heroines
of Robert Burns. In either case they are
mistaken.
Annie Laurie was "born in the purple"
so to speak, at Maxwelton House, in the
beautiful gleen of the Cairn-Glencairn
Her home was in the heart of the most
pastorally lovely OF Scottish shires-that
Of Dumfries. her birth is thus set down
by her father. in what is called the BAR
jorg MS:
"At the pleasure of the Almighty God.
my daughter Anna Laurie was born upon
the 10th day of December, 1852, about 6
O'Clock In the morning. and was baptized
by Mr.. George --, minister of Glen
csirn."
Her father was Sir Robert Laurie, frs
baronet, and her mother was Jean Ridt
dell.
Maxwelton House was originally the
castle Of the Earls OF Glencalrn. 1t was
bought in 1911 by stephen Laurie, the
founder of the Laurie family. stephen
was Dumfries merchant. The castle
was turreted building. In it Annie
Laurie was born.
II was at Maxwelton House, Annie's
birthplace, that / came across the missing
link in the chain OF evidence that fixes
the authorship of the song upon Douglas
OF Fingland. Fingland Is in the parish
of Darby in the adjacent shire of Kirk
cudbright and Douglas was a somewhat
near neighbor of Annie.
The present proprietor of Maxwelton
House, Sir Emilius Laurie, placed
in my hands letter. OF which he said
might make what use i liked, and this
laff ha mis- 5nL
1t was written in 1889, and by friend
to Sir EmiIius, and relates an incident
which took place in 1854. At that time
the writer, whom we will call Mr. B.,
was on a visit with his wife to some
friends in Yorkshire Mrs. B. was a
somewhat famous singer of ballads. 4
few friends were invited 10 meet them
one evening. and, after the ladies had re-
tired TO the drawiDg-room, their hostess
asked Mrs. b. to sing, and she sang
annie Laurien in the modern revision,
just as we all sing it.
Among the guests was a lady in her
9th year. She gave close attention TO
the singing OF the ballad, and when Mrs.
b. had finished she spoke up: THANK
you. thank you very much! But they're
ma the words my grandfather wrote"
Then she repeated the first stanZa as she
knew it.
The next day Mr.. and Mrs. B. called
had the original nrst stanZa written out,
debating it TO a grandniece. she had
signed II with her own shaky hand. n ot
being satisfied with the signature, she
had signed il second tune.
She explained that her grand father
Douglas OF tlngIand, was desperately in
love with Annie Laurie when ne wrote
the song. But she added, ''he did ma
get her after a.
She was not sure as to Annie's fate she
said. Some folks had said she died un-
Ferguson OF Craigdarrock, and she rather
thought that was the truth.
Questioned as To the authenticity of the
lines she had given, she said
"OL, mind them fine. l have remem-
bered them a my life. My father often
repeated them TO me.v And here ia tho |
the stanza signed with her name:
"tMaxweltons banks are bonnie
They re a clad owre wi dew
Where an Annie Laurie
Made up the bargain true
Mace up the bargain true
" hich He'er forgot sail be.
An Tor bonnie Annie Laurie
pdiay me down an dee
II mud na mair.
tSigned1 CLARK DOUGLAS
August 80, l654.U
In the common version this stanza |
reads:
Marvellous braes are bonnie
W here early las the dew
And its there that Annie Laurie
Gie'd me her promise true;
Gied me hels promise trae
Which ne'er forgot will be-
An for bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay me down an dee
The music of the song is modern, and