ANNIE LAURIE.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1923, Page 1

ANNIE LAURIE.

OLD HOME SOLD. Craigdarroeh estate. Dumfriesshire, the home in which Annie Laurie spent her married life, has been disposed of privately. Annie l.nurie (Mrs Ferguson) survived her husband, and the present mansion house of Craigdarroeh was largely built under her directions. A relic of her taste is still preserved ia the formal Georgian garden in the rear of the house. She died in 17(51, at the ago of 7!), and was buried in the old graveyard at Craigdarroeh. At (VaigdaiToch has been carefully treasured fur more than a century “The 'Whistle,” a context for which inspired Hubert Burns’s ballad of that name. R is made of light coloured wood, and was brought from Denmark by a Dane of gigantic stature. it is said that at the commencement of his orgies the Dane used to lay the whistle on the table, and whoever was last able to blow it was to carry it off as a trophy of victory. The Dane at last met more than his match in one of the Lauries of Maxwclton, who, after three days’ and nights’ hard contest left the Scandinavian under the table. A descendant of that Laurie afterwards lost the whistle to Walter Jliddell, of Glenriddel, whose descendant—Robert Riddell, of Friar’s Carso, the friend and patron of 'Burns—submitted it to competition between himself and two other descendants of the conqueror of the Dane-—Alexander Fergusson of Craigdarroeh and Sir RobertLaurie of .Maxwelton. The contest look place at Car.se on October Kith, 1785), and ended in a victory for Fergusson. His great-gveat-graml-daughter now owns the historicwhist le.