Edward A. Ross's manuscript collection of Scots bagpipe music, c 1820

Collection of 453 pieces of Scots bagpipe music, mostly written in the same hand, and dated by John Murdoch Henderson, to the 1820s, on account of the early versions included therein.

William Donaldson attributes the collection to William Ross (d 1891), author of Ross's Collection: Pipe Music (London, 1869), and successor to Angus MacKay (d 1859) as first piper to Queen Victoria. In it he has leaned heavily on MacKay's work, most of the pieces appearing to be transcripts from his papers (originals in National Library of Scotland MS 3753 - 3754; microfilm copy in the University GB 231 MS 3590). (William Donaldson, Reports and Surveys of Archives in Northern Scotland, Northern Scotland, 20 (2000), 167 - 178 (171)).

From p. 80, other hands are evident: The signature of Edward A. Ross (dated 27th January 1883), after whom the collection is named, appears on the flyleaf; though the relationship between Edward A. Ross and William Ross has not been established.

This is one of several significant music manuscripts gifted to the University by John Murdoch Henderson, and contains minor annotations, in his hand, throughout. The tunes have been numbered by him, but not indexed.

William Ross (d 1891) William Ross (d 1891), author of Ross's Collection: Pipe Music (London, 1869), succeeded Angus MacKay (d 1859) as first piper to Queen Victoria, in which role he remained from 1855 - 1891.

Edward Ross (fl 1883) No biographical details have been established for Edward Ross (fl 1883), after whom this collection is named, but see Scope and Content, below.

John Murdoch Henderson (1902 - 1972) John Murdoch Henderson, son of Charles Henderson, farmer, and Mary Jane Murdoch, was born in New Deer on 31 March 1902, and graduated from the University of Aberdeen, MA 1926. He taught for several years in the south of Scotland, before returning to Aberdeen where he taught science and mathematics at Frederick Street, and latterly, Ruthrieston School. A gifted composer, and an authority on Scottish fiddle music, he wrote The Flowers of Scottish Melody: A First Companion to the Scottish Violinist and Pianist (Glasgow: Bayley & Ferguson, 1935), and arranged J. Scott Skinner's The Scottish Music Maker Skinner: a choice selection of strathspeys, Scots reels, schottisches, double jigs, waltz tunes, song airs, pastorals, marches, quicksteps, hornpipes ... arranged for the violin (Glasgow: Bayley & Ferguson, 1957). He was also a prolific collector of music for the fiddle and pipes, and during his life made several significant manuscript deposits to the University of Aberdeen.

His printed music collection was bequeathed to the National Library of Scotland in 1975/6, and duplicates from this collection transferred to Aberdeen University, where they form the University's John Murdoch Henderson Collection. A further collection of his papers was deposited more recently in the North East Folklore Archive, Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, by his family. See Related Units of Description for further details.

Single item

Open, subject to signature accepting conditions of use at reader registration sheet

Gifted to the University in 1963, by John Murdoch Henderson, MA (Aberdeen, 1926), Aberdeen.

Very brief collection level description available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

No copies known

Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

This material has been appraised in line with normal procedures

Acquired by John Murdoch Henderson, from T. Sinclair Rae, Glasgow, date of acquisition unknown.

No accruals expected

Angus MacKay's manuscript (of piobaireachd), 1830s - 1840s (GB 231 MS 3590). This is a microfilm copy of Angus MacKay's (d 1859) original manuscript, which is held by the National Library of Scotland (NLS MS 3753 - 3754)

John Murdoch Henderson (1902 - 1972) John Murdoch Henderson Collection (University of Aberdeen, Special Libraries collection: ref. Hend inst (instrumental); and Hend voc (vocal)). Originally bequeathed to the National Library of Scotland in 1975/6, duplicates of items already in stock came to the University of Aberdeen and helped create this Collection. The collection was accumulated between 1908-1960, with a contents date range of 1780-1935. Composers represented range from Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) to Joshua Campbell (fl. 1762). Famous Scottish composers feature strongly as with Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), son of Neil Gow (1727-1807), Robert Mackintosh (1745-1807), and J. Scott Skinner (1843-1927). Music from the Highlands, mainly for the fiddle and some for the bagpipe are well represented in the Collection, with famous Scottish composers for the fiddle forming a core of the musical volumes. Scots songs, particularly those from the Jacobite era, feature strongly in the vocal arrangement of the Collection. Works in English and Gaelic are also represented.

John Murdoch Henderson Collection (North East Folklore Archive, Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, Scotland UK AB42 5FQ: http://www.nefa.net/index2.htm). This collection, which includes several untitled manuscripts, original copies of 19th century fiddle and pipe tune publications, posters advertising local shows and dances in the early 1900s and several photographs from Henderson's own album, was deposited in the North East Folklore Archive in November 1999, by his nephew, Murdoch Paterson.

Papers of John Murdoch Henderson, c 1920 - 1972 (National Library of Scotland Manuscripts Division: ref. MSS 21669 - 713

William Donaldson, Reports and Surveys of Archives in Northern Scotland, Northern Scotland, 20 (2000), 167 - 178 (171)

This material is original