One letter with transcript from John Hill Burton to My Dear Morton

The manuscript letter dated 20 December 1878, signed 'J H Burton' to 'My Dear Morton', probably the Edinburgh solicitor Charles Morton. Burton regretfully declines an invitation as 'prudence forbids. I have not dined out in Edinburgh for 10 years fidning it dangerous [...] I felt always the worse when I dined with Russel or any other good fellow, so took a self denying ordnance'. He is sending 'a little book', preferring it to his others because 'it is personal to the author. Farther it may have to you the value of being commemorative of well remembered ground [...] Now don't take the trouble of acknowledging receipt [...] I speak as one wjo has been a considerable sufferer from receiving authors presentation copies'.

There is also a ms transcript of the letter.

John Hill Burton was born in Aberdeen on 22 August 1809. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and then he went to Marischal College. After graduation he moved to Edinburgh and studied for the Bar, being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1831. However, he had little practice, and in 1854 was appointed Secretary to the Prison Board of Scotland, and in 1877 a Commissioner of Prisons.

He contributed to Blackwood's Magazine and to other periodicals, and in 1846 published a biography of David Hume. He wrote well-researched historical works and he was one of the first historians to introduce the principles of historical research into the study and writing of the history of Scotland.

The advocate, historian and economist, John Hill Burton, died on 10 August 1881.

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

Purchased June 2014. Accession no: E2014.53.

Catalogued by Graeme D. Eddie 23 April 2015