My Three or More this week is all about Annie Laurie. When Katie and I visited Glendale Forest Lawn last Monday we enjoyed The Wee Kirk O’ the Heather! Thank you to Tam at The Gypsy’s Corner for hosting this weekly event.
Forest Lawn Glendale has several lovely churches on their grounds. This one was built to resemble Annie Laurie’s Church in Scotland. I’ve included the Stained glass windows in the church that tell her story in glass and the poem that was made famous about her written by William Douglas and the Old Scottish Song that is based on the poem sung by Deanna Durbin. Annie’s father denied William as a suitor for Annie. One of the reasons Annie’s father was not fond of William was because of his political/religious affiliations.
Annie Laurie by William Douglas
Maxwelton’s hills are bonnie
Where early falls the dew
And ’twas there that Annie Laurie
Gived me her promise true.
Gived me her promise true
Which ne’er forgot shall be
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me down and die.
Her brow is like the snow drift,
Her throat is like the swan,
Her face, it is the fairest
That e’er the sun shone on.
That e’er the sun shone on
And dark blue are her eyes
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me down and die.
Like dew on the daisy lyin’
Is the fall of her fairy feet
And like winds in summer sighing
Her voice is low and sweet.
Her voice is low and sweet
And she’s all the world to me
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me down and die.
I’m adding this You Tube of the song being sung by Deanna Durbin…
To see more Three or More visit Tam at A Gypsy’s Corner!
Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage unless I pay them a lot of money. I’m slowly cleaning up many posts from this time period and deleting their ugly grey and black boxes with a ransom request. Such a time consuming bother.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Did you know all thise before, or did you do a bunch of research about Annie Laurie? There is so much in the world I don’t know …
I also love to learn new things and this is a wonderful ‘Three Or More’ post. Thank you for the wonderful collages and history.
Have a wonderful Tuesday,
Tam
What an interesting post! I love the multimedia 🙂 Is this video from a movie? Love the Old English pronunciations!
Beautiful pictures. I had never heard of Annie Laurie. The things I learn from fellow bloggers. One of the reasons blogging is fun.
Loved this, Ellen. I always find out something very interesting or see something very interesting when I visit you! I loved hearing this about Annie Laurie. A good friend of mine is named that, and they are of Scottish extraction! 🙂 Now, I know the story, and what a pretty chappel and windows!
Happy Three or More Tuesday…
XO,
Sheila 🙂
The stained glass windows are amazing. Beautiful post!…Christine
I can stare at those stained glass story windows. I love them!
Have a great Tuesday!
Ellen –
What beautiful photos (as usual!). The stained glass is just breathtaking. I love going to old churches – they seem so peaceful and sheltering, and the feeling of history just surrounds you.
Your blog is fabulous – is there a way to subscribe?
Lisa
Beautiful post – what gorgeous stained glass windows! I never heard of this chapel.
It reminds me of one of my favourite books “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” and the movie – and another version of that song.
Such a bittersweet scene.
PS
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
xo
What a lovely story and sweet song. Can’t wait to share with my MIL. She was quite a singer in her youth, sounded much like this lovely lady.
Blessings, Candy
Lovely post — and educational too! Thanks, Ellen!
What a pretty little church! I love how humble it is.
Hope your Tuesday’s going well Ellen B.
xoxo Cori G.
How beautiful. The stained glass windows are spectacular. What a feeling must have overcome you to be there. Love the video too. Thank you so much!
xoxo
Jane
That’s a beautiful church and I love the stained glass window.
Ah! Now I’ve got Annie Laurie stuck in my head… one of those songs that keep circulating and circulating in the gray matter!
Lovely little chapel…and I especially loved seeing and hearing Deanna Durbin again. What a voice!
Cass
Deanna Durbin’s rendition is amazing!!!
Love the web site. If i am being picky the words we now use to Annie Laurie were not those composed by Douglas- a common mistake.
They were in fact composed by lady John Scott in the mid nineteenth century at Friars Carse which strangely enough is where Annie died.
Please find below Douglas’s original words.
FIRST ORIGINAL STANZA
Maxwelton’s banks are bonnie,
They ‘re a’ clad owre wi’ dew, Where I an’ Annie Laurie
Made up the bargain true. Made up the bargain true,
Which ne’er forgot s’all be, An’ for bonnie Annie Laurie
I ‘d lay me down an’ dee.
(.” SECOND ORIGINAL STANZA
She ‘s backit like the peacock, She ‘s breistit like the swan,
She ‘s jimp around the middle, Her waist ye weel micht soan, —
Her waist ye weel may soan, and she has a rolling eye
And for bonnie Annie Laurie I’d lay doun my head and die.
Signed) ” Clark Douglas ” with note: ” I mind na mair. August 30, 1854
I thought you might like to know that the church at maxwelton has been fully resorted.
The reconstruction in the photo is a very good likeness.
If you have any questions with regards to Annie, please ask
Thanks Frank…I appreciate all this information! We love traveling to Great Britain and it would be fun to track down this site!
Cheers Ellen,
The story of Annie Laurie is like Jane Austin meets gone with the wind.
An amazing woman way a head of her time. I have been working on a project on her life for the past 3years . It is full of intrigue, romance,poltics, uprisings, ghosts and of course connections with Robert Burns
Annie Laurie was “born in the purple,” so to speak, at Maxwelton House, in the beautiful glen 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 “Barjorg MS.”:
“At the pleasure of the Almighty God, my daughter Anna Laurie was borne upon the 16th day of December 1682 years, about six o’clock in the morning, and was baptized by Mr. George—minister of Glencairn,”
Her father was Sir Robert Laurie, first baronet, and her mother was Jean Riddell
Hi Ellen,
Type in above link to see Annies Chapel at Maxwelton house
http://www.francisfrith.com/moniaive/photos/maxwelton-house-portraits-of-annie-laurie-and-her-husband-c1960_m193014/
Hi Ellen,
Click link for portrait of Annie and her hubby