Biography of Duncan Williamson; his storytelling; where he g...

Original Track ID

SA1979.14

Original Tape ID

SA1979.014

Summary

Biography of Duncan Williamson; his storytelling; where he got his stories.

Duncan Williamson was born in a tent in Argyll in 1928, one of sixteen children. His father was a basket-maker and tinsmith until the war, then worked in forestry. Duncan went to Furnace school from age five to fourteen, and won dux medals for Bible studies, poetry and Scottish history.

There were two classes, the older children being divided from the little ones by a movable partition. On Wednesday afternoons Duncan's teacher, Miss Crawford, used to allow an older child to take charge of the little ones. Duncan's turn came when he was seven, and he told them the story of the Fox and the Crow. His story-telling was a great success and from then on he often told the children Brer Rabbit stories and stories he had heard from his parents and grandparents. Duncan's father would tell him stories in return for him running errands. Duncan also heard stories round Travellers' camp fires, but was often sent to bed before the end. When he left school he went travelling and got the ends of the stories and more. Latterly he recorded Travellers telling stories, singing, diddling, cantering and playing the pipes.

Item Subject/Person

Williamson, Duncan

Recording Location

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good