Innholdsfortegnelse for July-August 2020 i History Scotland

David Breeze Christopher Smout Historiographer Royal Elizabeth Ewan University of Guelph EDITORIAL BOARD FIND OUT MORE AT: HTTP://SCOT.SH/HIS-BOARD Mr Derek Alexander Archaeologist, National Trust for Scotland Dr John Atkinson Managing Director GUARD Archaeology Ltd Medieval and post-medieval settlement and industry Dr Sonja Cameron Historian, writer and editor Prof Hugh Cheape Sabhal Mor Ostaig College, University of the Highlands and Islands George Dalgleish Keeper, Scottish History and Archaeology, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh. Scottish decorative arts, specifically silver, ceramics & pewter; Jacobite collections Dr Piers Dixon Operations Manager at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), (rural settlement and medieval archaeology) Mr Andrew Dunwell Director, CFA Archaeology, Edinburgh (Later prehistory and Roman) Mark A Hall History Officer (archaeology collections) at Perth Museum & Art Gallery. Dr Kevin…

The project aims to establish exactly what, and to what extent, visitors’ images can be used for conservation monitoring. The team hope to monitor things such as discolouration and algae growth on stone, erosion of peat caps of walls and forts, erosion as well as water damage, vandalism and littering. In addition, the collected data should help project researchers to understand how visitors experience the sites. This is a unique project in the disciplines of Citizen Science and Heritage Science and could lead to an innovative way for Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to monitor their remote properties. Since the project started last summer, more than 2,800 submissions have been made, with the team on track over 12,000 images by the end of the project, in September next year. The resulting…

Foreign archives can sometimes hold interesting primary material for the history of Scotland, material which might not be available in Scotland itself. An interesting example of this is the document (or documents) reproduced below from the Archivo Campomanes which forms part of the Fundacion Universitaria Espanola in Madrid. The 18th century was a remarkable era in Spanish history, associated with the advent of the Bourbons (following the death of the last Habsburg, Carlos II, in 1700) and their reinvigoration of Spanish state and society. In many respects, the first half of the century, above all the long reign of the first Bourbon, Felipe V (1700-46), was most remarkable. However, the second half of the century was equally fertile in efforts at reform, associated above all with the reign of Carlos…

The King Over the Water: A Complete History of the Jacobites Desmond Seward Birlinn, 2019 384 pages Hardback, £25.00 ISBN: 9781780276069 When I first saw the subtitle of Desmond Seward’s latest book, I was sceptical. A complete history of this fascinating, complex movement? A tall order. Yet Seward carries it off – or comes as close as one could in a book that spans barely 400 pages. He begins with King James II and VII’s inglorious defection to the continent, and concludes … well, it is really not clear that he does conclude, for he shows us, in his closing chapter, that Jacobitism is alive and well today, as is evidenced by the ongoing activities of the Royal Stuart Society (formerly the White Rose Club). Ignoring Peter Pininski’s claims of…

The sudden death in 1286 of Alexander III – fatally thrown from his horse during a night-time ride along the Fife coast – is usually viewed as the starting-point for the Wars of Independence, the long series of conflicts with England that dominated Scottish history until the mid-14th century at least. But in a more immediate sense, Alexander’s demise also signalled the brief emergence onto the historical stage of surely one of Scotland’s most tragic figures: his granddaughter Margaret, usually known as the ‘maid of Norway’ and arguably Scotland’s first queen regnant. Margaret was born early in 1283, the child of King Erik II of Norway and his wife, also Margaret, Alexander III’s only daughter. Almost immediately, the young girl was caught up in a Scottish dynastic crisis. Alexander had…

When this article was originally planned we would have been looking ahead to a major exhibition on the reign of James VI at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Hopefully this will go ahead in due course and in the meantime, the publications of the Scottish History Society are rich in materials relating to James VI, much of which is highly political and constitutional in nature. This is no surprise: from birth James VI led a tumultuous life during a period of extraordinary change – sometimes violent – both religious and political, and in 1603 he personified the Union of the Crowns when he succeeded Elizabeth I of England. All of these issues are covered in the society’s publications, but we also have more unusual materials, such as The Scottish Liturgy…

So many of us are missing visiting our favourite museums, galleries and beauty spots and with ‘normality’ still some way off, it’s been good to see organisations both large and small reach out to the public and invite us to enjoy history virtually. We have our own invitation as you’ll see on page 7, with the launch of our #StoryOfOurStreet project – a research project you can join from anywhere in the world. Elsewhere on these pages, we begin a new series on the secret history of the Bishops’ Wars, explore the Glasgow neighbourhood that inspired a young James Watt and explore how what happened at Culloden went on to affect how Britain shaped its Empire. Stay safe and best wishes to you and your loved ones. Warm wishes Editor,…

Ian Russell has been announced as the next Chair of the Board of Trustees of National Museums Scotland. The appointment will be for four years and Ian succeeds Bruce Minto, who has held the position for the last eight years. Ian has been a Trustee of National Museums Scotland since October 2018 and was previously was Executive Director of Scottish Power Plc for twelve years. He received a CBE in the 2006 New Year Honours List for services to young people and volunteering. National Trust for Scotland has announced that it is to appoint Philip Long OBE, currently Director of V&A Dundee, as Chief Executive once Simon Skinner retires in July. Prior to his leadership of V&A Dundee, Philip was Senior Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland. He is…

PLUS… McVey Napier: a 19th-century multitasker, Forestry and Land Scotland archaeology projects, ten-minute guide to the Killing Time. GUARANTEE YOUR COPY Join History Scotland, never miss an issue and save money on the cover price! See page 58 or visit: www.historyscotland.com (if you live outside the UK, see page 63 for our ‘fast-track’ offer) or see our offers online at: www.historyscotland.com/store/subscriptions…

Pabay: An Island Odyssey Christopher Whatley Birlinn, 2019 320 pages Hardback, £20.00 ISBN: 9781780275796 Small islands can have a big influence. As places to visit, to escape to, or to own, they exert a powerful attraction. Island life certainly carries a romance, to which generations of writers and tourists have fallen prey. But island life can be hard, requiring courage, fortitude, and enormous amounts of effort and labour. Pabay, by Christopher Whatley, explores the modern history of the small island that lies in Broadford Bay, Skye. It was bought by Len and Margaret Whatley – the author’s uncle and aunt – in 1950, and they were to live and work on the island for the next two decades. Christopher, now Professor of Scottish History at the University of Dundee, was…

The Coronavirus changed working life for so many of us. To what extent have museum staff across Scotland been able to adapt their usual activities for a temporary online environment? Most museums operate already to a great extent online, so have adapted quickly and well, although it is still early days and the main focus for many since lockdown has been on securing collections and sites, alerting visitors, lenders and stakeholders to their closure and suspension of public services, ensuring business and financial commitments continue to be met, and making sure those of their workforce who can, are able to work safely and effectively at home. It’s been an opportunity for some to extend or add to their existing online offering – to highlight their collections with virtual tours, podcasts…

After completing a doctorate on the covenanting armies at the University of Oxford, Edward Furgol spent his career in the British and US heritage industries. He has continued to research and write about the covenanters ever since. On page 16 we present part one of Edward's two-part series on the secret history of the oft-forgotten Bishops’ Wars. Dr Christopher Storrs is reader in History at the University of Dundee. He has written widely on ‘Enlightened despotism’ in early modern Europe, with a particular focus on 17th- and 18th-century Spain. In ‘The Campomanes letter:', starting on page 28, he presents an as-yet unpublished letter that reveals an abortive plan to settle a community of northeast episcopalians in Habsburg Spain. Originally qualifying as a geologist, Frances Green worked in the oil business…

reviews@historyscotland.com Northern England and Southern Scotland in the Central Middle Ages Edited by Keith J. Stringer, Angus J.L. Winchester Boydell Press, 2017 384 pages Hardback, £60.00 ISBN: 9781783272662 In 1237, the Treaty of York delineated the Anglo-Scottish border. Yet both before and after this date, the zone around the border was identified as a region unto itself. Society, economy, culture, identity and law all developed along slightly different lines than in each area’s larger political unit. This collection of essays explores facets of life in southern Scotland and northern England during the 12th and 13th centuries. It originated in a 2012 conference organised by the late Richard Britnell, who wanted to foster a community of historians looking beyond traditional political boundaries. As the editors, Keith Stringer and Angus Winchester, note…

Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: The Official Guide By National Records Scotland Birlinn, £12.99 ISBN 9781780276335 This is the seventh edition of a bestselling guide to tracing your Scottish using the wealth of records cared for by National Records Scotland, written from the perspective of a custodian of those records, with bonus content covering online research. The Irish-Scottish World in the Middle Ages By Peter Crooks, David Ditchburn, Sean Duffy (eds) Four Courts Press, £39.60 ISBN 9781846826351 A volume based on the proceedings of the 2nd Trinity Medieval Ireland Symposium, in which a host of experts explore crucial aspects of Irish–Scottish links in the Middle Ages. Poor Relief and the Church in Scotland By John McCallum Edinburgh University Press, £24.99 Based on extensive archival research involving more than 30 parishes, this…

This article was written at the start of week four of the UK lockdown, an event unprecedented in UK history. So how has the family history community responded? One of the responses has been in the shape of podcasts and webinars. For a good guide to Scottish Statutory Records I would recommend Chris Paton’s talk which is available at https://scot.sh/paton and you can also find specific Scottish Family History Podcasts through Scottish Ancestral Records https://scot.sh/ancestral which are run by the Scottish Genealogy Society and Lisa M Young. If you are interested in the Great War, try the Western Front Association’s podcast https://scot.sh/wfa. The UK National Archives also runs Podcasts https://scot.sh/uknat as does the National Library of Scotland https://scot.sh/sounds and if you want to look at images try National Library of…