Common-place book of S. H., with poems, epitaphs etc, from various sources, c. 1809-1810

Scope and Content

Small quarto, 43pp, in the original marbled paper covered wrappers. There are pieces written by Mason, and by Thomson. Others are taken from the Edinburgh Magazine and the Morning Post.

Titles include, 'A Fragment', 'To a Lady on her Birthday', 'On a Lady who died in Childbirth 1778', 'The parting Lover', 'Woe', 'An inscription on the tomb of one Margaret Sect who died at Selkirk 12 miles from Newcastle 1728', and 'On Conjugal happiness, addressed to a Lady on her Marriage'.

Administrative / Biographical History

Commonplace books were a way of compiling knowledge, usually by writing information into books or notebooks... in effect, scrapbooks... filled with items such as medical recipes, quotes, letters, poems, tables, proverbs, prayers, legal and mathematical formulas. They were used by readers, writers, students, and scholars as an aid for remembering useful concepts or facts. Every commonplace book was unique to the particular interests of the creator.

In this instance the collection of items had a Scottish flavour.

Access Information

Open to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance of visit.

Acquisition Information

Acquired 23 October 2015. Accession no: E2015.80.

Other Finding Aids

None created for this collection.

Archivist's Note

Catalogued by Graeme D. Eddie 9 November 2015

Subjects

Personal Names