I have a friend whose name is the reverse of Annie Laurie and this is what I call her, not Laurie Anne, and that led to me thinking about the song, thinking at one time it was a Burns song and of course our forthcoming Supper in Hamilton.
Maxwelton Braes have you found the place about 8 miles to the west of Dumfries, and what about the house where `Annie Laurie was born, the song immortalised into one of the most famous of love songs. But you see I always thought this was one of `Burns `Works but maybe not, this song was penned a by a fiery young soldier by the name of William Douglas of the Morton castle Douglases.it is reported he fell in love with Annie, the daughter of Sir Robert Laurie, and Annie was keen to return the favours but alas the parents had ither ideas and poor ole Annie was locked in her room till she promised to jilt him.
This she did.
But instead of laying him” doon to dee” William Douglas eloped with and merried a Miss Elizabeth Clerk of Lanark and very soon after that Annie Laurie merriet a Mr. Alexander Ferguson of Craigdarroch. What a wonderful story.
But then the song was rewrote and set to music by Lady Scott and it rose to instant popularity. In altering the words slightly from William`s original version lady Scott has maybe left a more presentable picture for posterity.
Is not a song a wonderful thing? A mood at a time in one`s life where sentiments creep in and in this case words that became a song immortalised the love one man had for a woman who merried someone else.
I have not time to study the differences between Willies version and Lady John Scott’s alteration right now but maybe we can on a trip look further into.
Bob
www.celticconnexionstours.com
www.rabbieburns.co
