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This week's events

28/11/2013

History and genealogy talks and events, 2 December - 8 December 2013

A wide range of talks of interest to genealogists and family historians this week.

Note that there may be a charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only.

We will be publishing lists of upcoming talks and events regularly - if you are organising a talk or event relating to Scottish genealogy or history, please let us know and we will be happy to add your events to our list.

The Franco-Scottish Wine Trade and an Ayrshire Involvement	Tom Barclay	Tuesday, Dec 3 2013	7.30 pm	Community Room, Largs Library, Allanpark Street, Largs	Largs and North Ayrshire Family History Society
Pantomime in Scotland - Your Other National Theatre	Paul Maloney	Tuesday, Dec 3 2013	7:30 pm	Fairweather Hall, Barrhead Road, Newton Mearns, G77 6BB	Mearns History Group
Christmas Get-together		Tuesday, Dec 3 2013	7-9 pm	Blackburn Community Centre, Ash Grove, EH47 7LJ	West Lothian Family History Society
The Integration of the Scottish Upland Communities, 1500-1700: The Evidence of Material Culture	Thomas Brochard (University of Aberdeen)	Wednesday, Dec 4 2013	5.15 pm	Highland Archive Centre, Bught Road, Inverness	University of the Highlands and Islands Centre for History
Christmas Social Evening.		Wednesday, Dec 4 2013	7:30 pm	Smith Museum and Art Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Stirling	Central Scotland Family History Society

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Scottish Book Trade Index

28/11/2013

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To mark Book Week Scotland 2013 it seems appropriate to write a little about the book trade in Scotland. The book trade has a long history in Scotland - even before the first books printed in Scotland were published by Walter Chepman and Androw Myllar in 1508, books printed elsewhere circulated in Scotland, brought back by merchants and collectors from elsewhere in Europe. James IV granted an charter to Chepman and Myllar, giving them exclusive rights to print books in Scotland.

It wasn't until 1552 that the first printing press was established outside of Edinburgh - by John Scot in St Andrews, followed by Robert Lekprevik in Stirling in 1571, Edward Raban in Aberdeen in 1622, before spreading to Glasgow, Leith, Campbeltown, Tarbert and Maybole before the end of the 17th century.

But the real boom in the Scottish book trade came with the invention of the printing machine in the 19th century. The new machines meant that books became much cheaper to produce, greatly stimulating demand, and spreading printing throughout Scotland: in the first 300 years, printing had spread to 38 towns, almost all in the south and east of Scotland. 100 years later, there 197, from Lerwick and Kirkwall in the north to Dalbeattie in the south.

The industry employed thousands of people, in printworks, as papermakers, bookbinders and booksellers. Some Scottish companies - such as Nelsons, Blackwoods, Collins - became major international publishers, with Edinburgh in particular being a particular centre of the book trade. (My own family had many connections with Nelsons at their famous Parkside Works: my great aunt was apparently the only person in Nelsons who could read John Buchan's handwriting, a fact that we discovered over a family meal - the subject of John Buchan came up, and my great aunt announced, out of the blue, "Ocht, that John Buchan, lovely man, but awfy handwriting").

Some years ago, the late John Morris, formerly Assistant Keeper of Antiquarian Books at the National Library of Scotland, prepared a list of printers, publishers, booksellers, bookbinders, printmakers, stationers and papermakers, from the early days of the book trade up to 1850. The NLS continued to develop what became the Scottish Book Trade Index. Although it will always of necessity be a work in progress (indeed, I have made a number of contributions in my years as an antiquarian bookdealer and collector), it has grown to be a very useful but little-known resource, not just for the avid bibliophile, but also for genealogists: it lists many thousands of individuals, in many cases also giving family history and genealogical information.

The Scottish Book Trade Index can be found here (opens in new window).

Fergus

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This week's events

22/11/2013

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History and genealogy talks and events, 25 November - 1 December 2013

A wide range of talks of interest to genealogists and family historians this week.

Note that there may be a charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only.

Title	Speaker	Date	Time	Venue	Organisation
Scotland's Places		Monday, Nov 25 2013		Luncarty	West Stormont Historical Society
Plant Collectors	Alan Graham	Monday, Nov 25 2013	7.30 pm	Age Concern Building, Provost Wynd, Cupar	Cupar Heritage
The Stories Behind Glasgow’s Street Names	Dr Bruce Durie	Monday, Nov 25 2013	8 pm	Freeland Church Hall, Main Street, Bridge of Weir	Bridge of Weir History Society
Adventures of Sir John Kirk of Barrie	Willie Milne	Wednesday, Nov 27 2013	2 pm	Community Cabin, South Union Street, Monifeith, DD5 4JG	Monifieth Local History Society
Title to be confirmed, Newstead.	Fraser Hunter.	Wednesday, Nov 27 2013	7.30 pm	Upper Volunteer Hall, Galashiels	Old Gala Club
Robert Bruce to MI6: the glamorous past connections of Tarradale in Ross-shire	Dr Eric Grant	Wednesday, Nov 27 2013	7.30 pm	Highland Archive Centre, Bught Park, Inverness	Highland Family History Society
The Galloway Coast	Keith Fergus	Thursday, Nov 28 2013	7.30 pm	Glen Halls, Neilston	Barrhead & Neilston Historical Association
The double tressure in non-royal arms. Who, when, why, and why not?	Dr. Steve Boardman - University of Edinburgh	Saturday, Nov 30 2013	2 pm	Royal Scots Club, Abercromby Place, Edinburgh	The Heraldry Society of Scotland
The Woman in the Field' - Writing and Archaeology	Kathleen Jamie, writer	Saturday, Nov 30 2013	6 pm	Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ	Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

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This week's events

19/11/2013

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History and genealogy talks and events, 18-24 November 2013

A wide range of talks of interest to genealogists and family historians this week.

Note that there may be a charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only.

Title	Speaker	Date	Time	Venue	Organisation
The Southern Necropolis	Colin Mackie	Monday, Nov 18 2013	7:30 pm	Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow	Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society
Children's Gardens in the dark places of the Old Town	Jean Bareham	Tuesday, Nov 19 2013	7.30 pm	Leith Community Education Centre in the New Kirkgate	Leith Local History Society
Family History Workshop		Tuesday, Nov 19 2013	7.30 pm	Community Room, Largs Library, Allanpark Street, Largs	Largs and North Ayrshire Family History Society
Genealogy and Newspapers	Chris Paton	Tuesday, Nov 19 2013	7:45 pm	Alloway Church Hall, Octagonal room	Alloway & Southern Ayrshire Family History Society
Walter's Swansong; 60 years of field walking	Walter Elliot	Wednesday, Nov 20 2013	7.30 pm	Our Lady and St Joseph's Church Hall, Selkirk	Selkirkshire Antiquarian Society
A history of Scottish Art: Portraiture, landscape and genre	Dr Maureen Park of the University of Glasgow's Centre for Open Studies	Wednesday, Nov 20 2013	7:30 pm	Best Western Eglinton Arms Hotel, Eaglesham	Eaglesham History Society
The Glass People of Perth: Tomey, Moncrieff and Vasart	Rhoda Fothergill	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	2 pm	Sandeman Room, AK Bell Library	Friends of PKC Archives
150th Anniversary of Pitlochry Station	Pat David	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	2:30 pm	Moulin Hall, Moulin	North Perthshire Family History Group
The Adventures of Flora Macdonald - from Skye to theAmericas and Back Again	Dr Elizabeth Ritchie (UHI - Dornoch)	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	7.30 pm	Brora Community Centre	Clyne Heritage Society
Co-operative Societies â€“S.C.W.S. etc	Fiona Hayes, Peoples Palace, Glasgow	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	7.30 pm	Paisley Museum, High Street, Paisley	Renfrewshire Family History Society
Indian Regiments in Sutherland	Hamish Johnston	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	7.30 pm	Council Chamber, Carnegie Building, Dornoch	Dornoch Heritage Society
The 1884 Political Demonstrations in Scotland	Mark Nixon	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	7:30 pm	Guild Room, Lochwinnoch Parish Church	Lochwinnoch Historical Society
Visit to Carnegie Library, Ayr 7.45pm - Behind the scenesat the Family History Library	Sheena Taylor	Thursday, Nov 21 2013	7:45 pm	Carnegie Library, Ayr	Troon & Ayrshire Family History Society
The Caribbean Connection	Professor Geoffrey Palmer	Sunday, Nov 24 2013	2:30 pm	Corn Exchange & Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose,TD6 9PN	Borders Family History Society

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This week's events

Scottish Book Trade Index

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