Papers of William Alexander MacNaughton, physician and historian

GB 231 MS 1083 Extracts from Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire Kirk Session records, 1662-1829. Compiled by William A. MacNaughton, early 20th c.

GB 231 MS 2093 Index of inhabitants of the Mearns, extracted from 17th-century records. Compiled by William A. MacNaughton, early 20th c.

GB 231 MS 2192 Extracts from the Sheriff Court, Presbytery and Kirk Session records of Kincardineshire, 16th to 19th centuries. Compiled by William A. MacNaughton, early 20th c.

GB 231 MS 2307 Papers of William MacNaughton (d c 1933), physician and historian: Comprising personal papers of William A. MacNaughton, and a collection of original records and transcriptions compiled by him relating to Scottish history, and to the local history of Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire, 1617 - 1932.

Personal papers include certificates (degree, public health diploma, etc.); material relating to his editorship of the Caledonian Medical Journal; correspondence on antiquarian subjects; incomplete manuscripts on the history of Stonehaven; and genealogical notes or transcripts on the MacNaughton, Bruce and Burns families. Other transcripts include copy of rent book for Elfhill farm, [?parish], 1730 - 1783; account of money received by William Gibbon for building a meeting house in Stonehaven, 1737 - 1746; and ledger of the Laird of Skene, 1768.

Original records in the collection were loosely arranged into literary papers and miscellaneous papers prior to deposit, though this arrangement may change pending future cataloguing:

Literary papers include notebook containing autobiography of Dr Alexander James MacIntosh, Downham Market, Norfolk, copy register of baptisms administered by the Rev. John Robertson, Episcopal Minister Strathtay, 1812 - 1829, notes and register extracts from Episcopal church, Atholl, 1812 - 1822, notes from Augustus by E.S. Shuckburgh, 1903, and notes from Farington's diary; inventory of the moveables of Alexander Fotheringham, deceased, in Links of Arduthie, Sept 1790; notes of sermons on sacramental and other occasions by Adam Gib, minister in the Associate Congregation at Edinburgh, Jun 1770 - Jul 1782, and notes of sermons, Jun 1762 - Dec 1769; manuscript of poem, Mock Poem or Whig's Supplication, with introduction, unsigned, early 18th c; notebook containing Adagia et nonnulla latina anglica and other schoolboy notes of William Davidson, of Kelso, 1688, and James Davidson, of Kelso, c 1700; notebook of Dr Patrick Cumin, 1726; and account book of David Maxwell, Minister of Essie, 1739 - 1762.

Miscellaneous papers include letter from James VI to the Earl Marischal recommending Andrew Adie to be Principal of Marischal College, 1615 [18th century copy]; royal proclamation for dissolving the Glasgow General Assembly, 1638 [printed]; list of baronets created by Charles I; list of noblemen, gentlemen and others who have been attained and adjudged to have been guilty of High Treason, 1745 [printed]; list of debts affecting the estate of Kerse (Sir Alexander Hope), 1736 [printed]; bundle of miscellaneous petitions and answers, etc., in causes before the Court of Session, c 1730 - 1755; expense account of voyages to English and French parts, 1647; copy declaration of indemnity, 1662; letters to Hugh Fullerton, advocate, Aberdeen, 1812 - 1815; papers relating to the affairs of Thomas Smith, deceased, architect in Rothesay, 1827; assignations of James Walters, collector of customs at Wick, in favour of Robert Bruce in Staxigoe, Jul 1826, and George Sinclair, fish curer in Wick, Jul 1846.

Papers of the Menzies family, Perthshire, 1526-1808 (GB 231 MS 2605/1-25) and papers relating to families and estates in Kincardineshire, particularly Stonehaven, 1530-1809 (GB 231 MS 2606) were extracted from this collection in 1967and accessioned separately. See below for further details.

GB 231 MS 2605/1-25 Papers relating to the Menzies family of that ilk, Perthshire, their relatives or connexions by marriage and others, 1526-1808: Principally marriage contracts and related legal papers; also 14 letters relating to Menzies of that ilk, 1720 - 1808. Compiled by William A. MacNaughton.

GB 231 MS 2606 Miscellaneous papers of a legal nature relating to persons and places in Kincardineshire, particularly Stonehaven, 1530-1809: Including inventory of writs of the barony of Marphy from 1530, 16th c; inventory of writs belonging to the Kirk Session of Dunottar, 1785; notarial copy precept of clare constat, George Earl Marischal to Margaret and Elizabeth Garvies, Jul 1689; other writs relating to properties in Stonehaven and environs, 17th c - 18th c; commission (on a tack) for the collection of customs in Stonehaven, 1681 - 82; letter from John Thomson acquainting [?Stonehaven Burgh] of a tax increase, Jul 1728; portion of the Sheriff Officers' record in actions for debt in the Sheriff Court of Kincardineshire, 1697 - 1709; certificate of requisition to the Burgh Court of Stonehaven of James Marischal and his spouse for abusive language, Aug 1722; note and memorandum for Patrick Campbell, tacksman of Corries, in the action at the instance of Mrs Jean MacDuff, wife of Rev William MacLeish, against Robert Robertson, Auchlecks, 1807. Compiled by William A. MacNaughton.

William Alexander MacNaughton was a medical graduate of Edinburgh University (1878) and sometime Medical Officer of Health for Kincardineshire. He was editor of Caledonian Medical Journal from 1897 - 1932 and author of The medical heroes of the 'Forty-five (Glasgow: MacDougall, 1897), Caledonian medical journal (1897-1900). Though he is not recorded as a graduate of Aberdeen University, he contributed antiquarian articles to the Aberdeen University Review, and gifted or bequeathed several manuscripts to the University.

None observed.

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GB 231 MS 1083: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 1083: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 2093: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 2093: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 2192: gifted to the University in 1933, by Dr. [William A.] MacNaughton GB 231 MS 2307: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 2307: date and source not recorded. Probably gifted or bequeathed to the University by William A. MacNaughton; GB 231 MS 2605 and GB 231 MS 2606 were originally deposited with GB 231 MS 2307. They were extracted from this collection in 1967and accessioned separately at this time.

Descriptive lists available for GB 231 MS 2307, GB 231 MS 2605/1-25, and GB 231 MS 2606 in the Reading Room, Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk).

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

This material is original/ 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

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GB 231 MS 2190: Names and designations of persons in Aberdeenshire to be summoned on 26 or 27 June 1606 and 31 January 1636 (1 leaf). Presented by William A. MacNaughton, in 1933.

His work on runes was published in Southesk staves (Edinburgh, 1892); The Southesk and other rune prime-staves or Scandinavian wooden calendars (Edinburgh: Neill, 1892), Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Proceedings (1891); On two rune prime-staves from Sweden and three wooden almanacs from Norway (n.p., n.pub., 1892), Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Proceedings 1892; and On a Norwegian staff calendar belonging to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Andrew Reid, 1891), Archaeologia Alliana, 15 (1891).

Not known