University of Aberdeen - Historic Collections: Special Libraries and Archives

Title: University of Aberdeen - Historic Collections: Special Libraries and Archives

Description: Since its foundation in 1495 King's College and University of Aberdeen has been acquiring material in printed, manuscript and other forms to support research and teaching across all major subject areas. In 1860 it united with Marischal College, founded 1593, to form the University of Aberdeen. It has particular strengths in early theology, science, medicine, literature, law, history, geography and maps. Until the 1970s it was the main repository for archival material in the North of Scotland and therefore holds many collections of family and estate papers.

Strengths: The strengths of the collections for the CASBAH project lie primarily in large holdings of family and estate papers and the papers of individuals who have travelled to and lived in the Caribbean. Relevant archival material is to be found in 4 main estate collections, in 2 sets of personal papers, and interspersed in several other collections; in total about 14 boxes + 7 volumes + 2 reels of microfilm.

This is complemented by scattered holdings of relevant printed material dating from the 17th century onwards, held in Special Libraries or in the main University Library, including comprehensive sets of British Parliamentary Papers. A search of the OPAC under relevant keywords suggests perhaps 800 monograph titles, covering history - social, economic, political; travel, natural history, literature. [e.g. Caribbean = 332 records; West Indies = 249; Jamaica = 206; Barbados = 33; Dominica = c30; Dominican Republic = 23; etc.]

Specific manuscript collections include the following:

• MS 3652 Papers of William Shand (1776-1845), of The Burn, Fettercairn, and Straloch, Aberdeenshire, mainly concerning the estates of John and William Shand in Jamaica, 1816-1835. This collection consists of correspondence, accounts, some legal documents, and slave lists pertaining to the Jamaican properties of Kellitts, Mamee Gully, Belmont, and others, during the period 1816 to 1835. 26 slave lists cover the period 1817 to 1833, and 11 Charter parties, being agreements on freight on board ships bound for Jamaica, Trieste and London, cover the period 1826-1831. Includes the Jamaica Almanac for 1817. (7 boxes and 2 volumes.)
• MS 3470 Castle Fraser papers, 2 disparate items: MS 3470/6/281 - Letter from Mrs Eliza Macpherson to Charles Mackenzie of Kilcoy, asking his help in gaining admission to General Mackenzie for her son William, who plans to ask the General to recommend him for an attorney-ship to some gentleman in Berbice or Demerara, from Blairgowrie, Feb 16, 1808. [With an endorsement explaining this case]; MS 3470/21/15 'Pilgrim Private Signal Book to communicate with Charles Fort' [now Fort Charles, Kingston, Jamaica], with fine hand-drawn signal flags and a list of naval vessels, c.1803.
• MS 661 Collection of letters, 1778-87, of unidentified writer to correspondents in Aberdeenshire and West Indies. 76p., bound; 20 cm Personal papers
• MS 2368/1-6 Papers relating to the establishment of the St Thomas Central Sugar Factory, Annotto Bay, Jamaica, 1902-23. 6 folders. Business records
• MS 2740/1-49 Papers of Ogilvie-Forbes family, Boyndlie, Aberdeenshire, 1700-1960. 70 boxes; plans. Family and estate papers. MS 2740/10 contains references to the West Indies incidental to the material relating to South Carolina.
• MS 2769/II/ various family and estate papers relate to estates in the West Indies, esp. Jamaica.
• MS 3193/1-31 Papers of the family of Gordon of Cairness; 1760-1919 ; MS 3193/10 Legal papers and correspondence concerning Georgia estate, Jamaica, including draft of disentail and legal expenses related to its sale. 1876-1894.
• MS 3527 Papers relating to Alexander Johnston (d.1787), physician Jamaica, and family. 2 microfilm reels. Personal papers. Originals held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

The main finding aids are:

• The OPAC, http://webpac.qmlib.abdn.ac.uk/webpac.html, which includes MS collections;
• The searchable database of MS descriptive lists at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/historic/collects/stiqcgi/prelim01.html

The following publications are also available:

• McDonald, Roderick 1992, 'The Duff House/Montcoffer Papers: a Documentary Source for the History of the British West Indies, with particular emphasis on Jamaica', Journal of Caribbean History, 26.2, pp.210-215. Describes MS 3175.
• McDonald, Roderick A. 2001, Between slavery and freedom: special magistrate John Anderson's Journal of St.Vincent during the Apprenticeship, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. Describes MS 602

Size: c.800 monograph titles; 14 boxes of archival materials

Catalogue: Epixtech/Dynix Online Public Access Catalogue

Catalogue URL: http://webpac.qmlib.abdn.ac.uk/webpac.html

Main URL: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/historic/

Access: The collections are open for consultation to all bona fide visitors on signing a register accepting conditions of use. All archival and most printed material is non-borrowable. Opening hours = Monday to Friday 0930 to 1630.

Acquisition dates: 1495-

Note:

Interest: Caribbean

Complete: Complete

Subjects

Trade

Sugar plantations

Slavery

Plantation economy

Medicine

Economic history

Personal/Corporate names

Shand, William, 1776-1845

Places

Antilles, Greater

Jamaica

Dominica