Mary Brooksbank

This material is held atUniversity of Dundee Archive Services

Scope and Content

Letters and memoirs by Mary Brooksbank. Minute books of the Scottish Old Age Pensions Association to which she was Secretary. Correspondence concerning her archive.

Administrative / Biographical History

Mary Brooksbank, nee Soutar was a mill girl, political activist, singer, violinist and poet. She lived in Dundee from the age of 8 or 9 and was largely self-educated, having left school at 11. Before working in the mills, she was briefly in domestic service. A long-time member of the Communist Party, she was expelled after criticising Stalin. Through her later years she entertained widely in the locality, singing, reciting her poetry, appearing often on TV and radio.

Arrangement

Usually chronological within series.

Access Information

Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

Note

Mary Brooksbank, nee Soutar was a mill girl, political activist, singer, violinist and poet. She lived in Dundee from the age of 8 or 9 and was largely self-educated, having left school at 11. Before working in the mills, she was briefly in domestic service. A long-time member of the Communist Party, she was expelled after criticising Stalin. Through her later years she entertained widely in the locality, singing, reciting her poetry, appearing often on TV and radio.

Other Finding Aids

Hard copy of descriptive list held in search room

Archivist's Note

Description compiled by Zoe Rae, volunteer, 19 July 2019

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.

Appraisal Information

Nothing destroyed

Custodial History

Records originally held by Brooksbank's nephew, Fred Soutar, who had been practically brought up by Mary. In his old age, Fred had then been cared for by depositor's father, who was also Mary's nephew and had inherited the collection and subsequently passed them to his son, the depositor.

Accruals

Possible

Related Material

MS 103/3/6

Additional Information

Published

Catalogued

MS 442

Subjects