Category: Verse
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Henner’s En’
Henner tries to save money by not feeding his chickens properly but the hens plot their revenge…
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The Beadle
Barrowsgate reminisces about Auld Archie, who had been the church beadle when he was a child.
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“Peter’s Wife’s Mither”
Strathbogie had to go to London on “cow business” and on Sunday morning went to the local church but the parson was ill and the young “stand-in” was hopeless. Disgusted, Strathbogie went to another church that evening and it was the same substitute preacher. On his train home to Scotland, guess who turned up in…
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“Fyles”
Sandy has had a bit too much to drink and meets the parson, who asks if he’s on his way home. Sandy replies “Fyles” (i.e. sometimes). Barrowsgate provided an English translation for this one.
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The Gweed Samaritan
Dauvit likes a drink and helps a friend bury his wife (whom he had killed) with a toast of Glentackit, offering her skull a dram (from the closed bottle)
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His Character
A farmer asks Wullie for a reference before taking him on. Instead, Wullie finds out that the farmer’s reputation is not good and declines the job. Barrowsgate provided an English translation with notes for this one.
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“Saut”
A pig dies so the farmer gets his young farm-hand to brine it and they all eat pork for a while. The same happens to his cow but when the farmer’s wife dies, the farm-hand draws the line at brining and eating her
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“Nickums”
Twin brothers Rab and Tam cause havoc in the Tornaveen area. They stole the postman’s hens and let them loose in the church during a service. The ministers chase the birds from pew to pew through the church. They eventually grow up and possibly meet their end in Flanders (it’s not clear whether Barrowsgate is…
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Thrashin’ Day at Barrowsgate
A new threshing machine arrives at the croft and brother-in-law Adam comes along to “help”. According to Barrowsgate’s son Murray, this verse was based on real life events, where Adam is Barrowsgate’s brother-in-law Adam Corbett Taylor.