About the session: Lomax note on tape box: "Songs by Mary MacCuish, nee Mary MacDonald. She's 84, lives alone in primitive black house, you can see daylight through the chimney. A hen named The Owl was trying to come in the window back of the seat to get some food. In the family—boy was drowned—daughter married in Canada. Her husband died in 1909 or '10. She's lived alone with mice. She refused to go to the States. Daughter wanted her two years ago but she refused. Has 2 cows, 26 shillings a week—she [?] 10 pounds a year. She was one of the great singers when she was young. She knew almost every song when she [was] young." Lomax's chronology is muddy between Saturday 23 and Tuesday 26 June. According to the tape box, Mary MacCuish was recorded on the 26th, but Lomax's journal entry concerning these recordings, by all evidences written on Tuesday the 26th, gives the day of the recording as a Saturday, so the 23rd has been given as the date here.