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"Awful woman, dull, husband wouldn't trust her with 1d, he turned her out but had to bring her back. Brought in another woman for a time. Talks ++, not right. At her last confinement just lay on the floor. Dr thinks she is Irish and quite good intellectually."

Relatives in survey: Husband 35.36

Scope and Contents Charm entitled 'Tearna Moire' [Placenta of Mary] collected from Ana Nic an Liallain bean Eachain 'ic Iosaig [Anna MacLellan], bocag [pauper], Ceannlangabhat, Iocar, S[outh Uist] [Iochdar, Uibhist a Deas] on 16 October 1867. Anna states that she got the charm from her mother Cairistina Chamaron [Christina Cameron] who got it from her mother Mairi O' Shialaidh [Mary O' Henly] and it had been in the family for many generations. The earna [nut] was mounted in silver attached to a cross which was...

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Curse beginning 'Sgath na Nathrach ort a bheist' and reportedly said by one woman to a pregnant woman, who died along with her child. Text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents Note written by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'La Feill Mhicheil' [St Michael's Day or Michaelmas] describing how it was observed all over the country. Some of the traditions entailed, pregnant women visiting burial grounds 'Believing that the sanctimonious odour of the graves was sufficient to prevent premature birth' and that similarly mares in foal would go 'deasal a chlaidh' [sunwise around the graveyard] unbridled. 'Aodhstar' is noted as headgear for...

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Photograph of three Penistone ewes in a sheep pen standing next to a stone wall in the snow in the early 20th century.

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Riddle for a pregnant woman beginning 'Craobh sa choille ud shios' probably collected from Mary Stewart, age 76, Malacleit [Malaclate, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] also known as Màiri Bhreac, sean bhanachaig [old dairywoman]. Text scored over with note saying 'Transcribed'.

Scope and Contents Story collected from tinkers by the name of Chisholm at Baileshear [Baile Sear/Baleshare, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] about Mrs Marwick Stuart, Torloisg, Mull [Torloisk, Muile] who was abducted by fairies while in child-bed. She met her children from school and told them she was not dead. She asked for her husband to come to her with her wedding chemise and put it on her back-to-front and she would be as well as ever. Her husband married another and the child went to see the mother that...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'An t-Each Ursunn' about a Maor Mòr who came over from Trotarnish [Trotternish, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] to Baileshear [Baile Sear/Baleshare, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] to fetch the best horse [each ursunn] and horse-hair halter from a poor widow. When he stopped at Tobar Pheadair in Sollas [Solas] for water Seumas Òg, the son of Sir Seumas Rua [Sir Seumas Ruadh], went to chase him away and threatened to chop his head into the well except that the Maor Mòr's...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Bhean Shith' collected from an unnamed informant, telling how a man had courted a fairy but had married a human. His wife became pregnant and when he went to fetch the midwife, he met the fairy woman he had courted. She gave him a belt for his wife but on his way hom he tied the belt around a stone instead and it split in two. he then pulled some mungan [pearlwort] and placed it under his wife's feet and she gave birth to a healthy son and was all right. The text has been...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Sgialac Fhinn' [Sgeulachd Fhinn or The Story of Fionn] collected from Catrina Nic Cuidhein nighean Lachlain Ruari [Catrìona or Catherine MacQuien], [Clachan na Luib/Clachan a' Ghluip/Clachan an Lùib, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist]. The story begins with a battle between the Fenians and the Lochlannaich [Vikings] in which the Lochlannaich prevail and take as prisioner Cumhail, a skilled warrior. While in Ireland some Lochlannaich talk to Cumhail's sister and realise that she is...