ANNIE SHIRER (1887-1915)

Miss Annie Shirer of Kininmonth collected several hundred traditional rhymes and songs of the Mintlaw area, sharing 260 of them with collector Gavin Greig, and she shared 130 more rhymes and riddles with the Rymour Club of Edinburgh, who published them 120 year. Annie died aged 38, and her great treasury of Doric language and culture was lost in ‘two family clearouts’, but her great-nephew Jim Shirer [1937-2007] of Westhill, was able to record much in a 2000 self-published booklet titled ‘Gaitherins Fae Annie’s Kist’. [See our Annie's Story page]

Here are just a few of Annie’s findings in ‘Gaitherins’.

Yule has come, and Yule has gane, and we’ve aa fared weel
Jockie’s at his flail again, and Jenny’s at her wheel
And aa the loons and lassiekies are back to the skweel

An, tan, toose Joe, up the hill and doon ye go
First a shoe, and syne a boot, I choose you oot [counting-out rhyme]

A little spark mak’s a muckle wark
And a little dog mak’s a muckle bark

It’s ye’ll shear the fur, lass, and I’ll shear the riggin
And when ye cam tae ca a ruck, it’s I’ll dae the biggin

Riddle – Four-an-twenty white kye stanin in a raw
Oot cam the red bull an lickit owre them aa [teeth and tongue]

When the breakers roar at Rattray Heid, we ken the weather will be gweed
But when they roar at Auchentum, aa the ill weather is to come

Wash weel your fresh fish, and scum weel your bree
For there’s mony a foul-fitted beast swims in the sea.

Annie Shirer's Legacy

Yes, I will rescan the above images to make them look even.

The below page is from Volume 8 of the Greig Duncan Collection, showing finding references for songs Annie sent to Gavin Greig.

Rymour Club Contributions

Below are a few pages of the extensive rhymes, riddles, and proverbs Annie Shirer sent to be printed by the Edinburgh-based Rymour Club.

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Reach out to celebrate Annie Shirer’s contributions to Doric and Scots lyrics and folklore.