Papers of the Rev. James King Hewison (1853-1941)

The collection is composed of: books and longer manuscripts, including interleaved and annotated sets and additional notebooks and photographic material relating to The covenanters, correspondence relating to a work on Ninian Winzet and the volumes themselves, material on Dumfriesshire and the saints and heroes of Dalgarnoc, material on the geography of Dumfriesshire and on church lands there, an index of books, brochures, articles, and verses, typescript work on Scotland's debt of gratitude to its parish schools and universities, and an essay on Shakespeare's character of Coriolanus, 1874, for an English class at Edinburgh University; scrapbooks of newspaper cuttings of articles, personal documents, photographs, and letters, including articles on Ferguson the Poet, the Sir Patrick Spens myth, scholars of Nithsdale, Ailsa and its sea-birds, runic roods, St. Columba's Day, St. Patrick's Day, clerical attire, Pontius Pilate at Fortingall, the Benedictines, and much more; cuttings from the Dumfries and Galloway standard 1923, cuttings of articles from The Scotsman 1904-1938; photographs by John Cunninghame Montgomerie of Dalmore, Ayr, and including those of the Ruthwell and Bewcastle Crosses; notebooks containing manuscript drafts of articles; and, biographical material including letters describing a tour round the world, 1895, and congratulatory address on the 50th anniversary of Hewison's admission as Minister of the High Kirk of Rothesay.

James King Hewison was born in 1853. He studied at Edinburgh University. He was Minister of the Church of Scotland, first at Stair and then at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, from 1884 to 1925. Hewison was an eminent researcher and writer on Scottish seventeenth century ecclesiastical history, and his work included the two volume The covenanters. He also edited the works of Ninian Winzet for the Scottish Text Society, and he wrote many papers on the local history and archaeology of Bute. Hewison was a Grand Chaplain of the Masonic Order in Scotland. The Rev. James King Hewison died at Thornhill, Dumfriesshire on 23 January 1941.

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

The biographical/administrative history was compiled using the following material: (1) University of Edinburgh journal. Vol. 11. 1940-1942. pp.117-118. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1942.

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division.

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