Annie Johnston
Gaelic folklorist
About Annie Johnston
Lived 1886 – 1963 (aged 77).
Annie Johnston (10 February 1886 - 6 March 1963) was a Gaelic folklorist who contributed a variety of songs and stories from her native Barra to song collections and scholarly works in the early and mid-20th century. She was known for her expertise on waulking songs (òrain ruaidh), as well as her contributions to Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's well-known collection Songs of the Hebrides.
Johnston introduced song collectors to the waulking song, a type of traditional Scottish Gaelic song traditionally sung by women while they treated homespun cloth by rhythmically beating it upon boards (known as waulking or fulling). She performed many of the traditional songs she learned during her childhood in Barra, including over 40 songs recorded for Kennedy-Fraser, and was known for her willingness to collaborate with and educate collectors who wished to record traditional songs. Today her performances make up a valuable part of the collection of the University of Edinburgh's School of Scottish Studies.
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Important facts
People in Annie Johnston's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Annie Johnston's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Annie Johnston?
Gaelic folklorist (1886–1963)
When was Annie Johnston born?
Annie Johnston was born on 10 February 1886.
When did Annie Johnston die?
Annie Johnston died on 6 March 1963.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Annie Johnston (folklorist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Annie Johnston. https://biography.guide/annie-johnston/
MLA: "Annie Johnston." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/annie-johnston/.
Chicago: "Annie Johnston." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/annie-johnston/.
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