ANNIE LAURIE - Slim Whitman

Annie Laurie is an old Scottish song based on a poem by William Douglas in around 1682. The poem was about his romance with Annie Laurie, the daughter of a baronet. Douglas was a captain in the Royal Scotts and had fought in Spain and Germany. Annie's father objected to the romance because of serious political differences between him and Douglas. William Douglas was broken hearted after breaking up with Annie but eventually recovered and married an heiress Elizabeth Clerk in1706 in Edinburgh. Annie Laurie married a wealthy Scottish land owner, Alexander Ferguson in 1709 in Edinburgh. Annie Laurie died in 1764. Her portraits can be seen in Maxwelton which is mentioned in the song. In 1834, Alicia Scott wrote the music to go with Douglas' poem. Annie Laurie was brought over to America and was very popular among soldiers during the Civil War.