Papers of Miss Hilda M. Paterson of Birkwood, Banchory

This material is held atUniversity of Aberdeen Collections

Scope and Content

Genealogical and antiquarian papers of Hilda M. Patterson, of Birkwood, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. The collection has not been fully listed, but items identified thus far include notebooks, mainly genealogical, but including some local history research; genealogical notes; archaeological papers, principally re. her research on Deeside, including off-prints of papers and box of slides used at British Association lecture; and newspaper cuttings and printed extracts, re. genealogy, antiquaries and curios. There is also a small volume of miscellaneous family papers, principally relating to the Leslies of Birkwood, and to the Cornish-Browne family. This includes correspondence; family pictures and photographs; admission of George Read as barber and surgeon in the city of London, 1731; and family Bibles (with family notes).

The principal subject of the genealogical papers in this collection appears to be Hilda M. Paterson's direct family line, i.e. the Leslies of Birkwood, Leslies of Warthill, Setons of Pitmedden, and Hogarths of Woodhill. The material on the Cornish-Browne family comes from Hilda M. Patterson's niece, Miss Cornish-Browne (1913 - 2002), whose mother, Ada Elma Alberta Paterson (Hilda M. Paterson's sister), married Samuel Cornish-Browne, Esq., of Venn, c 1908.

Administrative / Biographical History

Hilda Maud Paterson was the fourth child of Ross Paterson, MD, and Grace Anna Leslie, daughter of Alexander James Leslie and Florie Ann Remington. Her great grandfather, Alexander Leslie of Birkwood, married Jane Seton of Pitmedden in 1805, and married for the second time, Johanna Hogarth of Woodhill, in 1840.

The marriage of Alexander Leslie (1733 - 1807), minister of Fordoun, to Margaret Reid (d 1829), daughter of Lewis Reid, minister of Strachan (by his second marriage, in 1735, to Janet Fraser (d 1798), of the Frasers of Phopachy), and half-sister of Thomas Reid (1710 - 1796), philosopher, established family ties with the Aberdeenshire Reid, Gregory and Fraser families, which form the basis of much of Hilda M. Paterson's extensive genealogical research. As part of this research, she amassed an important collection of original family records, including personal and professional papers of Thomas Reid (1710 - 1796) (GB 231 MS 2131 and GB 231 MS 3061) and correspondence of and relating to the Reid, Forbes, Fraser, Gregory, and Leslie families (GB 231 MS 2814). A keen antiquarian and amateur archaeologist, she also devoted much of her life to the local history and archaeology of Deeside: her collection of microliths was deposited in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, c 1949, and other, miscellaneous archaeological and family material is deposited in Marischal Museum, University of Aberdeen.

For further details on the Reid, Fraser and Gregory families, see collection level descriptions for the papers of Thomas Reid (GB 231 MS 2131 and GB 231 MS 3061); the papers of the Gregory family (GB 231 MS 2206); and correspondence and papers of and relating to Thomas Reid (1710 - 1796), his ancestors, family and descendants, and to families of Forbes, Fraser, Gregory, Leslie, and others to whom they were related, 1628 - 1908 (GB 231 MS 2814). Further details of Hilda M. Paterson's direct family line (principally, the Leslies of Birkwood, Leslies of Warthill, Setons of Pitmedden, Hogarth of Woodhill, and the Cornish-Brownes) will be found in this collection.

Arrangement

Interim arrangement as described above - listing in process

Access Information

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

Acquisition Information

Gifted to the University in 1983, by Hilda M. Paterson's niece, Miss V.G.S. Cornish-Browne (1913 - 2002). Additional deposits received from Miss Cornish-Browne in Apr 1996, and from her estate, in Jan 2002.

Other Finding Aids

Interim summary list available in the Reading Room, Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk)

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

Alternative Form Available

A microfilm and photocopy of the Leslie family tree produced by Miss Hilda M. Paterson (and deposited in this collection) are deposited separately as GB 231 MS 3271

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with normal procedures

Accruals

No accruals expected

Related Material

Papers of Thomas Reid (1710 - 1796) (GB 231 MS 2131; GB 231 MS 2360; GB 231 MS 3061; GB 231 MS K 160; and GB 231 MS K 222)

Correspondence and papers of and relating to Thomas Reid (1710 - 1796), his ancestors, family and descendants, and to families of Forbes, Fraser, Gregory, Leslie, and others to whom they were related, 1628 - 1908 (GB 231 MS 2814);

Papers of the Gregory family (GB 231 MS 2206);

Many other miscellaneous deposits relating to the families described in this collection level description have been deposited in the University. Further details available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

This material is original

Subjects