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Woolmanhill looking towards Schoolhill
148 Photograph of Woolmanhill taken 1907, looking towards Schoolhill. This image is thought to show the house where Joseph Robertson (1810-1866), the journalist and historian, was born.
For more information on Robertson see the entry about him in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (available online with an active library membership) and an obituary for him can be found in the Aberdeen Journal of 19th December 1866, page 6.
Roberston was mostly likely born at 73 Woolmanhill. He and his family certainly appear to have lived at this address for some time. Robertson is listed at this number in the Aberdeen Directory 1833-34 (D. Chalmers & Co.), page 116. Additionally, a death notice for Robertson's mother, Christian Leslie, features in the Aberdeen Journal of 23rd March 1859, page 5, which gives her address as 73 Woolmanhill.
Exactly which of the shown buildings is Robertson's birthplace, or no. 73, is somewhat unclear. A Press & Journal article on "Historic Woolmanhill" from 6th June 1925, page 5, states "it was in the line of houses that separate Blackfriars Street from Woolmanhill that there was born in 1810 Joseph Robertson, who became the most noted antiquary of his day, the most accomplished that Aberdeen has produced." This would suggest that Robertson's birthplace is one of the buildings on the left.
This image featured in the Evening Express' 'Flashback' feature from 12th January 1985, page 12. The accompany information states "Joseph Robertson, an eminent historian and one time editor of the 'Aberdeen Observer' was born at 37 Woolmanhill - the tall building in the foreground of our picture - in 1810." This slightly vague description could refer to the building on the right of the image or perhaps to the first tall building on the left side of the road. The latter would accord better with other references. Additionally, the buildings on the right were known as Black's Buildings.
The above reference to "37 Woolmanhill" may initially suggest a confusion of 73 Woolmanhill, but the former is not without precedent. In Historical Aberdeen (1905), within an informative chapter on Woolmanhill, G. M. Fraser writes the following on page 149:
"Then hardly less remarkable, either in historical knowledge, or general scholarship, was Dr. Joseph Robertson, whose name appears so frequently in these pages, born in the unpretending house, still standing, No. 37 Woolmanhill. It is strange that in Aberdeen there is no public memorial of this distinguished man."
If 37 Woolmanhill is the correct address, 1950s Ordnance Survey mapping, which includes building numbers, suggests the relevant house may be the one in the centre of this image, of those on left, in the middle distance, just after the building marked as a tea warehouse. Byron's House
1762 Print of Byron's House, Broad Street. Lord Byron lived in No.64 with his mother when he was a pupil at the Old Grammar School in Schoolhill.
This sketch is by Aberdeen born Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) who went on to become an acclaimed stained-glass artist. See his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for details of his life and career. Victoria Lodging House
1763 Victoria Lodging House. Provost Skene's House, Broad Street. Dating from 1545, Provost Skene's House, also known as Cumberland House, after the Duke of Cumberland who stayed there in 1746. In the 19th century it was known as the Victoria Lodging House. It was in danger of demolition, but for the timely intervention of the Queen Mother in 1938. It was restored after the war.
This sketch is by Aberdeen born Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) who went on to become an acclaimed stained-glass artist. See his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for details of his life and career. The Shiprow
1764 Shiprow showing Provost Ross' House. The building was renovated, extended, and subsequently occupied by Aberdeen Maritime Museum.
This sketch is by Aberdeen born Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) who went on to become an acclaimed stained-glass artist. See his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for details of his life and career. Lady Lyon
2034 Portrait of Elsie Inglis Lyon (1853-1927), Lady Lyon. She was the wife of Sir Alexander Lyon (1850-1926), who served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen from 1905-1908.
Lady Lyon was born and educated in Aberdeen. She was active in church work and schemes related to child welfare and maternity services. She served on the committee of the Aberdeen District Nursing Association for 23 years.
In August 1925 Alexander and Lady Lyon celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Lady Lyon died on 3rd December 1927, aged 74, in her home at 10 Queen's Road. This was seven months after the death of her husband. Her obituary is in the Press & Journal, 5th December 1927, page 8.
Her funeral took place on 6th December. She was buried in the family burial ground at Nellfield Cemetery. The funeral was reported on page 8 of the next day's Press & Journal. Alexander Pirie II
2049 A portrait of Doctor Alexander Pirie II (1812 - 1875). The son of Alexander Pirie I (1778 - 1860), both were important figures in the development of Stoneywood Papermills and the Alex. Pirie & Sons company. Alexander II had Stoneywood House built in 1849-50, it was designed by James Matthews. He died in 1875 during a short trip to Dresden and his funeral took place at St. Peter's. Treasure 35: Notes and Jottings of G.M. Fraser
2323 George Milne Fraser had a lifelong interest and expertise in local history; delivering talks (as seen in the December 2015 Treasure), publishing books and numerous letters and articles in the local press. His 'Notes and Jottings' collection comprise over 70 volumes, mostly hand written (including a form of shorthand), which are a treasure trove of information about the local area.
Within these notebooks are newspaper articles and advertisements, photographs, personal correspondence, sketches and many other interesting bits and pieces. Library staff have compiled an index to this invaluable resource and consult it on a regular basis when researching enquiries. It is quite a challenge deciphering his handwriting sometimes!
As a journalist by profession, G. M. Fraser retained his talent for writing and contributed articles to the Aberdeen Free Press, Bon Accord and Northern Pictorial, Evening Gazette, and journals such as the Deeside Field.
His contributions to local literature began in 1904 with the publication of The Green. Historical Aberdeen appeared the following year and after Aberdeen Street Names in 1911 the Town Clerk Depute wrote to Fraser with the words "We must now regard you as our Principal Historian".
The Life and Work of G. M. Fraser
G. M. Fraser was appointed city librarian in 1899 and was the second public librarian in Aberdeen. He can be seen on the far right of this image from the library archive.
His name was known all over the north east and he was mentioned in the chorus of one of Harry Gordon's popular songs, The Auldest Aiberdonian: "I ken lots o' stories G. M. Fraser disna ken". On 30 October 1923 he gave a 15 minute talk on the radio about Castlegate, becoming the first librarian in Aberdeen to make a radio broadcast.
During his term of office there were many developments in the Library service:
- The Central Library was extended in 1905 to include a new reading room
- Branch reading rooms and delivery stations were established throughout the city
- The Juvenile Library in Skene Street opened in 1911
- Open access was introduced in the Lending Library 1925 (find out more about Open Access libraries in the October treasures!)
- Fraser's strongest legacy is the Local Studies collection, which still contains many of our treasures.
G. M. Fraser was remembered very fondly after his death on 7 June 1938. There were many tributes including one from the Library Committee. Perhaps one of the warmest tributes was paid by his successor as City Librarian, Marcus Milne:
"Somehow the Library and G.M. were one. You could not think of the Library without thinking of that kindly figure who was head of it; and one could not meet him without thinking of the building he graced for so long. Mr Fraser had 2 hobbies and work was both of them. He lived for nothing else. The library was ever uppermost in his thoughts and closely allied to his love for the Library was his great love for things Aberdeen".
Mr Fraser's funeral service was attended by many prominent city officials and floral wreaths included one from Lady Aberdeen with the inscription "In affectionate and grateful remembrance of a much valued friend". He is buried in Springbank Cemetery.
In 1955, Aberdeen's first post-war permanent branch library was opened at Northfield and named the G. M. Fraser Branch Library in his honour.
In further recognition of his contribution to the development of the Library service, a commemorative plaque can be found on the front of the Central Library building. Beach Rescue Lifeguard
2466 A photographic portrait of an unknown beach rescue lifeguard.
Correspondent Ed Fowler suggests the sitter may be Willie 'Moosie' Sutherland, an accomplished swimmer, diver, and local life-guard.
In Allenvale Cemetery, there is an ornate granite memorial to Sutherland made by Messrs Bower & Florence of the Spittal Granite Works. It has an inscription that reads: "Erected by public subscription in memory of William Sutherland, in recognition of his gallantry in saving upwards of 120 lives from death by drowning. Born at Aberdeen, 19th January 1845, died 20th September, 1885. A hero in humble life interred here."
Obituaries in the local newspapers state that Sutherland worked as an assistant in the City Surveyor's Office. He was formerly a slater and had become an excellent draughtsman. Between five and six hundred people are reported as in attendance at his funeral. Louisa Innes Lumsden
3233 Photographic portrait of Louisa Innes Lumsden that served as the frontispiece to her 1933 memoirs Yellow Leaves: Memories of a Long Life. This work is available to consult at Aberdeen City Libraries. The memoirs credit the portrait as sourced from St Leonard's School, 1877-1927 by Julia M. Grant and others (1927).
Lumsden (1840-1935) was an Aberdeen born promoter of women's education, a headmistress, and a suffragist. An account of her life and work is given in the Oxford National Dictionary of Biography.
There is a commemorative plaque to Lumsden at 214 Union Street, Aberdeen. Alexander Macdonald
4314 A photographic portrait, believed to be by George Washington Wilson, of Alexander Macdonald (1794-1860) the granite manufacturer and pioneer of Aberdeen's monumental industry.
An entry for Macdonald, written by Tom Donnelly, can be found in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Macdonald and his work are also the subject of the fifth chapter in the book The Granite Men: A History of the Granite Industries of Aberdeen and North East Scotland (2019) by Jim Fiddes.
Macdonald was the father of Alexander Macdonald (1837-1884), who continued his father's business and was a prominent local art collector. Treasure 38: The J. T. McIntosh Collection
207 J. T. McIntosh was a pen name of James Murdoch Macgregor (1925-2007). Born in Paisley, MacGregor moved to Aberdeen with his family at the age of 7 and stayed in the city for the rest of his life. He studied at Aberdeen Grammar School and graduated from the University of Aberdeen with an honours degree in English and literature.
After leaving education he taught music and English at Aberdeen Grammar School and became a journalist for the Bon Accord Magazine and sub-editor of the Press and Journal newspaper. MacGregor was a prolific writer from a young age and developed his skills producing many early short stories.
After finding success submitting stories to science fiction magazines on both sides of the Atlantic, MacGregor became a full time writer in 1952. He borrowed the pseudonym J. T. McIntosh from an old school friend and from September 1951 this became his most common pen name.
Aberdeen Local Studies has collected copies of many of his better known works, including editions from around the world. His science fictions novels from the 1950s are his best remembered: World Out of Mind (1953), Born Leader (1954), One in Three Hundred (1954) and The Fittest (1955). He published regularly until the late 1970s.
To accompany our wide selection of J. T. McIntosh works we have a collection of material on the author assembled by pupils and teachers from Torry Academy. The above biography has drawn heavily on their excellent work. We also hold a copy of a fascinating interview from 1986 in which MacGregor discusses his life and work. The National Library of Scotland has a significant collection of his written works too and in 2010 acquired his literary papers and correspondence.
MacGregor remains a neglected figure, awaiting the recognition deserving of this prolific Aberdeen author. Treasure 44: Historic Children's Literature Collection
213 This month we feature beautifully illustrated children's literature from our historic collections to mark World Book Day on 3 March 2016.
World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and - most importantly - it is a celebration of reading. It is designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
Little Ann and Other Poems illustrated by Kate Greenaway is a first edition, published by George Routledge & Sons c. 1883. It contains 42 poems all illustrated in her charming style of dainty children dressed in typical Greenaway costume.
Catherine "Kate" Greenaway (17 March 1846 - 6 November 1901) was an English artist and children's book illustrator
Online resources Britannica Encyclopaedia provides a brief biography of Kate Greenaway:
"The daughter of John Greenaway, a draftsman and wood engraver, Kate Greenaway grew up in various residences, including a farmhouse in Nottinghamshire, and studied art in various places, including London. She began to exhibit drawings in 1868, and her first published illustrations appeared in such magazines as Little Folks. In 1879 she produced her first successful book, Under the Window, followed by The Birthday Book (1880), Mother Goose (1881), Little Ann (1883), and other books for children, which had an enormous success and became very highly valued".
Greenaway's work was praised by John Ruskin, a dear friend who said "her drawings are blissful just in the degree that they are natural; the fairyland that she creates for you is not beyond the sky nor beneath the sea but near to you, even at your doors. She does but show you how to see it and how to cherish".
In our collections we also hold a copy of 'Kate Greenaway Pictures: from originals presented by her to John Ruskin and other personal friends' from 1921.
"In 1890 Greenaway was elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and in 1891, 1894, and 1898 she exhibited watercolour drawings, including illustrations for her books, at the gallery of the Fine Art Society (by which a representative selection was exhibited in 1902). From 1883 to 1897, with a break only in 1896, she issued a series of Kate Greenaway's Almanacs."
The Kate Greenaway Medal, established in her honour in 1955, is awarded annually by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the UK to an illustrator of children's books.
Treasure 49: Popular Fallacies Book
220 In 1924 Alfred Seabold Eli Ackermann (1867-1951), member of the Society of Engineers in London, published his book Popular Fallacies Explained and Corrected to explore common beliefs among the people of his time.
Filled with useful information and interesting facts, the book proved to be very popular and was republished many times afterwards. This month's treasure features the third edition, published in 1924, and held in our Reference Collection.
Only 460 fallacies were listed in the first edition. Our copy of the book features 890 new myths and analyses 1,350 in total. In an article published in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Ackermann provides details about the book, and describes what he considers to be a fallacy:
"A popular fallacy or error is something which is generally thought to be true, but which in fact is not, and it is remarkable for how long error may continue. It is a fallacy, for example, that a thick glass tumbler can stand hot water better than a thin one" (5 May 1924).
The book explores a diverse range of topics concerning animals, minerals and vegetables, science and technology, domestic environment, statistics, music, the human body, law, weather, and many other subjects.
Popular Fallacies remains interesting even today and reflects the popular myths of the era. In an amusing tone, it "explains in a new way entirely not a few of our long-cherished fads and freaks" (Dundee Courier, 9 November 1907). It also provides an important insight into societal views and scientific and engineering discoveries of the 19th and 20th Century.
British newspapers were very enthusiastic when the book was first published in 1907. The Framlingham Weekly News in Suffolk, England reported that: "[it] is remarkable to a student to notice how false notions gain currency and become unquestionably accepted as though they had behind them all the weight of the law, natural or man-made as the case may be." (26 October 1907).
Ackermann revised the book between the first and the third version. He also added new categories, such as astronomy, geography, etymology and a biography of famous people.
Aberdeen from Tollohill
393 This sketch by Aberdeen born Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) looks north towards Aberdeen from Tollohill. The Bridge of Dee can be seen in the centre of the image.
Strachan went on to become an acclaimed stained-glass artist. See his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for details of his life and career. The funeral of Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte
429 A notice from Aberdeen Town Council suggesting a temporary closure of shops and businesses following the death and funeral of Princess Charlotte. The broadside is dated 18th November 1817.
Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796-1817) was the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later George IV), and Caroline of Brunswick. She was a popular figure and her death aged 21 was mourned across Britain. Peter Williamson
468 A broadside from 1758 presenting the case of Peter Williamson (1730-1799), who, in his pamphlet French and Indian Cruelty Exemplified in the Life and Various Vicissitudes of Peter Williamson, denounced the merchants of Aberdeen for having been involved in the kidnapping of children to be sold as slaves in America.
Williamson claimed to be one of those children who suffered this terrible fate. Though to this date there is no historical documents to definitively confirm Williamson's account.
On his return to Aberdeen, the town's magistrates accused Williamson of calumny, imprisoned him, and forced him into an admission of guilt. They also publicly burned the offending pages of his pamphlet in the Town Square and banished him from Aberdeen on the 23rd June 1758.
Only ten days later, on the 3rd of July 1758, this broadside shows that Williamson had found witnesses to prove he was born in Aberdeenshire from honest parents and that he had told the truth in his book about his experiences.
The lower half of this broadside is the statement from Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk, an Aberdeen County Justice of the Peace, that indicates that he had been presented with evidence of Williamson's claims and that he believed them to be true.
Wrongfully persecuted, Williamson was ready to prosecute the merchants of Aberdeen for the "illegal behaviour" they had inflicted on him. Williamson eventually won his his lawsuit in 1762.
The broadside both makes the case for Williamson in his dispute with the Aberdeen magistrates and serves as an advertisement for his book.
Aberdeen City Libraries hold a number of books about the life and work of Peter Williamson and he has an entry on the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by P. J. Anderson, revised by A. W. Parker (available online with an active library membership). Mr Bannister's first night
470 A broadside from 1811 announcing the exclusive show of Mr Bannister, referred to as "the first comedian of the British stage".
This would have been the actor John (or Jack) Bannister (1760-1836). An entry, written by Joseph Knight and revised by Nilanjana Banerji, for Bannister can be found in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (available online with an active library membership). Bannister was a pupil of David Garrick, of the Drury Lane Theatre in London, and was one of the foremost comic actors of his day.
For six nights, Bannister was to perform in a comedy, Bold Stroke for a Wife, a comic song, The Tortoise-shell Tom-cat, and a farce, The Prize; or 2, 5, 3, 8.
These appearances in Aberdeen may have been part of a tour of the provinces and Ireland that Bannister commenced in 1809. His ODNB entry explains that the tour, comprising a monologue entertainment and songs, was called Bannister's Budget and was a financial, popular, and critical success.
Appealing to the expected high level of the entertainment, the reputation of the performer, and the great distance from Aberdeen to London, the theatre's manager, Mrs Mudie, hoped the public would understand slightly increased ticket prices for seats in the theatre's boxes and pit.
Tickets could be purchased from a variety of local booksellers; Messrs. Stevenson, Mortimer, Gordon, Spark and Watson or from a Mr. Phillips at the theatre's box office.
The Theatre Royal mentioned in this document, the first permanent one built in Aberdeen and opened in 1795, is no longer in use. It was turned into a church after the construction of Her Majesty's Opera House (later the Tivoli Theatre), which opened in 1872.
This playbill broadside was printed by Chalmers & Co. The document is referenced and transcribed in an Aberdeen Journal article from 26th November 1906, page 3, titled 'Two Aberdeen play-houses'. The article suggests that this might be "one of the earliest specimens of a local playbill probably in existence." The Last Speech and Confession of Alex Martin
480 This broadside recalls the execution of Alex Martin at Aberdeen on 27th August 1824. It provides a brief biography of him, before providing his dying confession. Martin was executed for the crime of stouthrief, a crime he had committed in Kemnay, close to Aberdeen. This was the Scottish crime of 'overpowering or depriving by force a man of his property.' He was tried for his crime in Edinburgh at the High Court of Justiciary earlier in the year.
During Martin's confinement, he had been visited by various clergymen, with whom he had engaged in severe penitence. The broadside makes reference to Rev. Mr. Thom, Ordinary of the Prison, Rev. Dr. James Kidd (1761-1834), Rev. Mr. Pennan and Rev. Mr. Lyon. Later in the broadside, Martin also thanks Mr. George Turreff, Mr. Alex. Brown, jailor, John Gray, under-turnkey, and Mr. John Fyfe, messenger.
The broadside's account of Martin's life states that when at school, he had lost father. His mother then lost all control over him, and Martin was devoid of any sentiment of righteousness. 'Abandoned to profligacy and vice', Martin led a life of violent crime. He had previously been found to have assaulted a girl in Edinburgh.
On the day of his execution, various prayers were delivered. On the thirty-two-year-old Martin reaching the scaffold, he delivered a lengthy sermon to the crowds in attendance on the evils of 'sabbath-breaking' and bad company. The broadside reports that he did not faulter when speaking. After he finished praying, he gave the signal that he was ready. He did not die immediately, but appeared to suffer a great deal, convulsing as he hang.
In the confession itself, Martin repeatedly refers to his sin of excessive drinking. He describes a 'wicked inclination' that led him to drink, which was the cause of many of his crimes, 'which perhaps I would not have committed if I had kept sober.' Martin asks that his experience be a warning to those who excessively drink.
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