THE MILL O' TIFTY'S ANNIE

THE MILL O' TIFTY'S ANNIE
Traditional

At the mill o' Tifty's lived a man

In the neighbourhood o' Fyvie,

For he had a lovely daughter fair

And they ca'd her bonnie Annie.

Noo her bloom was like the springin' flo'er

That hails the rosy mornin',

And her innocence and graceful mien

Her beauteous face adornin'.

Noo, her hair was fair and her eyes were blue

And her cheeks as red as rosies,

And her countenance was fair to view

And they ca'd her Bonnie Annie.

Noo, Lord Fyvie had a trumpeter

Wha's name was Andrew lammie,

And he had the airt to gain the hairt

O' the mill o' Tifty's Annie.

Noo, Lord Fyvie he rode by the door

Where lived Tifty's Annie,

And his trumpeter rode him before

Even this same Andra Lammie.

Noo, her mother cried her to the door,

Sayin', "Come here to me, my Annie.

Did e'er ye see a prettier man

Than the trumpeter o' Fyvie ?"

Oh naithin' she said, but sighin' sare.

'Twas alas for bonnie Annie !

For she durst nae own her hairt was won

By the trumpeter o' Fyvie.

"Oh, my love, I go tae Edinburgh toon

And for a while must leave."

"Oh, but I'll be deid afore ye cam back

In the green kirk yaird o' Fyvie."

Noo, her faither struck her wondrous sore

And also did her mother,

And her sisters also took their score

But woe be tae her brother.

Her brother struck her wondrous sore,

Wi' cruel strokes - and many,

And he broke her back owre the temple stane,

Aye, the temple stane o' Fyvie.

"Oh, mother dear, please make my bed

And lay my face tae Fyvie,

For I will lie and I will die

For my dear Andra Lammie."

Noo, when Andra hame fae Edinburgh came

Wi' muckle grief and sorrow ;

"Oh, my love she died for me last night

So I'll die for her tomoorow."

Footnote : A song I have known all my days - according to my late father we were related on his side to Tifty's Bonnie Annie - I think that he was joking but in Aberdeenshire you never know ! According to the collector Peter Buchan, Andrew Lammie was one of the greatest favourites of people in Aberdeenshire. Printed texts of the ballad contributed greatly to the popularity of the song and Peter Buchan, himself, printed and circulated 30,000 copies. It is a classic archetypal love-story between a wealthy lass and a lowly musician - doomed from the start - the family wishing the lass to marry the Lord. The song's popularity is partly due to being based on a true event. The Annie of the ballad was Agnes, daughter of a wealthy miller, William Smith, who lived at Mill o' Tifty, Aberdeenshire, about half a mile north-east of Fyvie Castle. At the castle a stone figure of the trumpeter stands on one of the turrets. Agnes Smith's flat gravestone is in Fyvie Kirkyard and gives as the date of her death 19 January 1673. Peter Buchan claims that her death was 9 January 1631.

The full ballad runs to some forty-eight verses and this is the version as sung by the great traveller singer Sheila Stewart, daughter of Belle, who learnt the song from Jock Whyte of Aberdeenshire. Like all traditional singers Sheila adds or drops verses depending on the occasion - here are two verses about the young lovers meeting in the woods which she sometimes includes :-

Oh the first time me an' my love did meet

It was in the woods o' Fyvie,

And he ca'd me "Mistress" - I said,

"No, I am Tifty's bonnie Annie."

Noo, wi' apples sweet he did me treat

And wi' kisses saft and many,

And he had the airt to gain the hairt

O' bonny Tifty's Annie.