Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493 (Scottish History Society)

Munro, Jean. [Editor]. Munro, R. W. (Robert William) [Editor]

Scottish History Society

The Chronicle of Melrose Abbey is the principal source for Scottish history in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries; it is also a remarkable survival of a chronicle-manuscript that grew for over a century. It is thus of great importance to historians and palaeographers alike. This new edition is accompanied by a detailed introduction, offering a full account of scribes; a collation of the manuscript; a discussion of the manuscript's evolution and binding-history in the light of its disbinding in 2005 and 2006; a new "stratigraphic" approach to the chronicle's development; and a full account of the manuscript's history. There is also a discussion of Cistercian chronicling in the British Isles. Of particular interest is the recognition that the manuscript comprised part of British Library MS Cotton Julius B. XIII as well as Cotton Faustina B. IX, shedding new light on the nature of the original codex and its date. The book is accompanied by a DVD containing digitised images of the whole manuscript. Dr DAUVIT BROUN teaches in the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Glasgow; JULIAN HARRISON is an Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Glasgow, and Curator of Medieval Manuscripts at the British Library.

The Chronicle of Melrose Abbey: a Stratigraphic Edition. Volume I: Introduction and Facsimile Edition (Scottish History Society 6th Series) (Volume 1)

History

Broun, Dauvit

Harrison, Julian

Europe

Tourist travelling changed remarkably between 1780 and 1880, and the six accounts collected here help us to see how and why. Whether by a well-off and intrepid lady, a self-important youth, a young man and his parents, or an overweight middle-aged lawyer, what they have in common is a relish for the pleasures of discovery, of holidaymaking, of finding a Scotland for themselves. The writers travel, they see, they listen (some more than others), enjoy good weather (and endure the frequently bad), take in the scenery and sights, and talk with other visitors and locals. Theirs are intimate voices - they were writing for themselves, or friends or family, not for the public - but as we eavesdrop on them a larger picture unfolds. Travelling conditions vary: the first account shows to a world of elite travel, the private coach, and the privileges enjoyed by the well-heeled, while the last is the homely and charming description of a one-week holiday taken with relatives in the country. In between comes the new world of travel: the steamer, the railway and the guidebook. A general preface by the editor sets these pieces in their historical and social context, and a selection of photographs and sketches drawn from two of the accounts complements these hitherto unpublished visitors' narratives. Alastair J. Durie is Teaching Fellow at the University of Scotland and Associate Lecturer at the Open University.

Travels in Scotland, 1788-1881: A Selection from Contemporary Tourist Journals (Scottish History Society, Sixth)

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

The Calvinist Reformation in Scottish towns was a radically transformative movement. It incorporated into urban ecclesiastical governance a group of laymen - the elders of the kirk session - drawn heavily from the crafts guilds as well as wealthy merchants. These men met at least weekly with the minister and comprised a parochial church court that exercised an unprecedented discipline of the lives of the ordinary citizenry. They pried into sexual behaviour, administered the hospital and other poor relief, ordered fostering of orphans, oversaw the grammar school, enforced sabbath observance, investigated charges of witchcraft, arbitrated quarrels and punished people who railed at their neighbours. In times of crisis like the great plague of 1584-85, they rationed food sent from other towns and raised an already high bar on moral discipline to avert further divine wrath. The minute books of Perth's session, established in the 1560s and surviving most fully from 1577, open a window on this religious discipline, the men who administered it, and the lay people who both resisted and facilitated it, negotiating its terms to meet their own agendas. They are presented here with full introduction and explanatory notes. Margo Todd is Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania.

The Perth Kirk Session Books, 1577-1590 (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 2)

Miscellanies published by the Scottish History Society bring together critical editions of important and previously unpublished manuscripts of relevance to Scottish history. As well as providing transcriptions, the editors introduce and explain the context of documents which have been neglected or even unknown to historians, providing a valuable resource for researchers, students, and all those interested in exploring Scottish history through the original sources. Volume XIV of the Miscellany focuses on the early modern period, presenting editions of six manuscripts from the late sixteenth to the mid eighteenth centuries. While ranging widely over the political, religious, social and environmental history of the period, there is an emphasis on the writings of the clergy, and the religious culture of the long post-Reformation period. Several of the entries shed considerable light, for example, on evangelicalism in the first half of the eighteenth century. Together, the documents comprise an essential collection for the study of early modern Scottish History, and help to illuminate the body of unpublished sources still waiting to be explored.

Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, volume XIV (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 4)

McCALLUM, John

Ross, Alasdair

In 1633, plans were made for a new one-off tax on house-rent, or "mail", intended to pay the stipends of Edinburgh's clergy. At the request of Charles I, full power and commission was given "for passing through the whole city and trying of what mail every tenement, dwelling house, low tavern, cellar or chamber", and an inventory was taken, which survives in manuscript form in the Edinburgh City Archives. While it would seem that the tax was never actually collected and so was a failure in terms of municipal fund-raising, it left an incredibly detailed record of the socio-economic and political structures of the Scottish capital. Giving information on landlords, tenants, rental and annuity for over 900 businesses and 3,900 houses, the record enables the topographies of Edinburgh down to house-by-house level to be reconstructed; whilst Cardinal Beaton's Lodgings, or the Pudding Market, no longer survive, the inventory sheds important light on these missing structures and allows for a fuller interpretation of the still extant buildings, such as Mary King's Close, or Gladstone's Land. Now published in its entirety for the first time, this valuable record gives us an exceptional view of an early modern capital and an unprecedented insight into the socio-economic composition and landscape of early modern Edinburgh, forming an invaluable resource for those interested in topics such as the demographic and economic history of preindustrial towns, urban topography and the local and genealogical history of Scotland's capital. It is particularly useful in illuminating those sections of society so often hidden from history, and giving a rare window into the people and property of Edinburgh on the eve of revolution. The volume also includes an extensive historical introduction explaining the nature, context and utility of the records. Dr Aaron Allen is a Honorary Postdoctoral Fellow in Scottish History at the University of Edinburgh, where he teaches history for the Office of Lifelong Learning; Dr Cathryn Spence is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Edinburgh Housemails Taxation Book, 1634-1636 (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 9)

Reference

This book brings together for the first time all 260 surviving documents issued by, or in the name of, all the Scottish bishops of the twelfth century, when written acta first appear in Scotland.  Every Latin text is printed in full, preceded by an English summary and followed by an explanation of the date ascribed to each document and, where appropriate, textual notes and comments. Originals are described in detail: endorsement, physical conditionand seal. The sources are archives in Scotland and England, the Archives Nationales, the muniments of four private owners and the copies made by antiquaries in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The introduction provides thefirst account of the diplomatic of the bishops' acta, and (other than individual biographies) of the role of the episcopate in twelfth-century Scotland. Overall, the volume is a mine of information on the activities of bishops, the personnel of episcopal households, landholding, economic activity, early burghs, the parochial system, the settlement of disputes, and the bishops' relations with other great men of the realm, the papacy and religious houses, and the bishops as founders and builders.

Scottish Episcopal Acta: Volume I: The Twelfth Century (Scottish History Society 6th Series) (Volume 10)

In the summer of 1650, an English army led by Oliver Cromwell crossed the River Tweed and invaded Scotland. Within less than a year, Edinburgh had fallen to the invading force and Presbyterian ministers across the Central Belt either fled to safer ground or remained to preach against Cromwell's agenda. The invasion brought with it ideas of a new religious settlement, a reorganisation of the civil administration of Scotland and a large body of men that needed housing, food and discipline. The Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale was one of the most senior ecclesiastical meetings in Scotland to face the English invasion. The meticulous record keeping of its scribes allows an insight into the local response, showing the complexity and negotiation of ecclesiastical government in wartime. The Synod took on a new significance during the 1650s by marshaling the national response to the English invasion, organisingcharitable events for those captured abroad and ensuring that ministers across the region maintained orthodoxy in such a difficult time. The minutes, previously scattered, are painstakingly stitched together in this volume, and are presented with full introduction and explanatory notes.

The Minutes of the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, 1648-1659 (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 11)

Arthur Woodburn's autobiography provides an exceptionally rich insight into the development of labour politics in Scotland in the first half of the twentieth century, into the experience of coalition government during the Second World War and of reconstruction and the government of Scotland in its aftermath. Woodburn was prominent within the labour movement and the Labour Party, but unlike many of his contemporaries his autobiography was never published at the time. It records his Edinburgh childhood, his route to socialism, his imprisonment as a conscientious objector during the First World War, educational and journalistic activities as well as his official roles in the Labour Party and government during the 1930s and 40s. This volume provides a clear annotated modern edition of Woodburn's text, together with a full scholarly introduction explaining the historical significance of the autobiography and Woodburn himself.

The Autobiography of Arthur Woodburn (1890-1978): Living with History (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 12)

In 1706-1707, a proposed union of the Scottish and English kingdoms excited vigorous debate. Dozens of Scottish burghs, shires and parishes sent petitions to the Scottish parliament, known as addresses, to protest against the treaty of union. The addresses reveal local opinions and feelings, as expressed through a sophisticated petitioning campaign. They show how Presbyterians and Jacobites joined in an oppositional coalition, which disagreed on most matters of church and state, but agreed to oppose the union. Thousands of male tenant farmers, artisans and servants subscribed with their own hands, or via notaries and church elders. Campaigners argued that these opinions mattered and that parliament should listen to the "mind of the nation." Though ultimately unsuccessful, the campaign had a strong impact on the shape of the union. This volume provides a transcript of each local voice from the original handwritten documents, explaining the circumstances in relation to the voting patterns of members of the Scottish Parliament. An introduction sets the addresses in their historical context. Karin Bowie is a historian of Scotland, specialising in the study of early modern public opinion. She lectures in Scottish history at the University of Glasgow.

Addresses Against Incorporating Union, 1706-1707 (Scottish History Society 6th Series, 13)

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Scottish History Society publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Scottish History Society