The Abertay Historical Society (AHS) is a
historical society
A historical society (sometimes also preservation society) is an organization dedicated to preserving, collecting, researching, and interpreting historical information or items. Originally, these societies were created as a way to help future gen ...
based in
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It aims to promote interest in history, with a special focus on the history of
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
,
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
and
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
. The AHS runs a regular programme of public lectures on historical topics and also organises special events. The Society also publishes books, usually producing at least one publication per year.
History
The Society was founded at a meeting held at
University College, Dundee
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
on 29 May 1947. The founders were the Principal of University College, Major-General
Douglas Wimberley
Major-General Douglas Neil Wimberley, (15 August 1896 – 26 August 1983) was a British Army officer who, during the Second World War, commanded the 51st (Highland) Division for two years, from 1941 to 1943, notably at the Second Battle of El A ...
, and the College's history lecturer, Dr Frederick T Wainwright.
It has been suggested that the Society was promoted as part of a process of developing 'town and gown links' in Dundee by Wimberley.
The AHS was set up with the goal of encouraging the study of local history in the
Abertay area (Perthshire, Angus and northern Fife).
The Society pursued this aim by organising regular talks and lectures as well as other events such as excursions.
The Society formerly had an
Archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
Section which organised excavations in the local area and its own series of meetings. However, in 1993 the activities of this section came under the control of the Society's Council.
For a time in the 1970s the AHS also had an Industrial Archaeology Section, which mainly sought to record the region's industrial heritage.
[ In 2015 the archaeological activities of the Society were taken over by a newly established fieldwork division, which has undertaken projects including the recording of stones that survive from the demolished Dundee Royal Arch.]
Since 1953 the Society has published books on local history, the first of which was ''Dundee and the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
'' by David Carrie. A number of notable historians and authors have written volumes published by the Society including Bruce Lenman, Andrew Murray Scott
Andrew Murray Scott (born 1955 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a novelist, poet and non-fiction book writer. His first novel, ''Tumulus'', appeared in 2000, as the winner of the inaugural Dundee International Book Prize for unpublished novels, against 82 ...
and Christopher Whatley
Christopher Allan Whatley, OBE, FRHistS, FRSE, is a well-known and widely published Scottish historian. He has been Professor of Scottish History at the University of Dundee since 1997. He is a prominent opponent of Scottish independence and ...
. The 51st AHS publication ''Ten Taysiders: Forgotten Figures from Dundee, Angus and Perthshire'' was published in 2011 and was edited by members of the Society's Council. In 2011 the AHS began to make copies of out-of-print titles available for free download from their website.[ The Society's publications are regularly cited in academic literature.][
As well as running events, the AHS has undertaken various heritage activities. The Society has lobbied for the preservation of local buildings and historic sites, and played a key role in the creation of ]Dundee Civic Trust
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
and Dundee Heritage Trust
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
. The Abertay Historical Society was also a benefactor of The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum Fundraising Appeal which allowed the restoration and refurbishment of Dundee's main museum and galleries between 2006 and 2009.
A number of notable individuals have been associated with the Abertay Historical Society. These include Sir Francis Mudie
Sir Robert Francis Mudie KCSI, KCIE, OBE (24 August 1890 – 15 September 1976) was a member of the Indian Civil Service during the British Raj. He was the last British Governor of Sind and after the partition of India and Pakistan in Aug ...
who was President of the Society from 1963 to 1965 and also contributed to its publications. Another key figure in the society's history was S. G. Edgar Lythe, a founder member who went on to be Vice Principal of the University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...
. Lythe, who edited and wrote several of the Society's publications, was credited with moving the AHS away from simply organising events and towards actively encouraging research into local history. The Dundee bibliophile and antiquarian Catherine Kinnear was a founder member of the Society and later went on to be its president.
Activities
The AHS has been described as "one of Scotland's most successful local history organisations". It organises a regular programme of evening lectures, which are usually held in Discovery Point, Dundee, although other venues are also used from time to time. These lectures cover a wide range of topics relating to the local area. The Society also works with other Dundee-based groups to run the Dundee Afternoon Lectures series. The AHS is a registered charity.
Some events are held jointly with other local groups. For example, in 2010 the AHS joined with the Perth Strathspey and Reel Society to have an event at the A. K. Bell Library, Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
entitled "The Fiddle Music of Perth" as part of the Perth 800 celebrations. In 2011 the AHS contributed to the Dundee Science Festival by organising a public lecture on the design and construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse
The Bell Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Angus, Scotland, is the world's oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse. It was built between 1807 and 1810 by Robert Stevenson on the Bell Rock (also known as Inchcape) in the North Sea, east of the ...
.
The Society is a partner in Great War Dundee, a project commemorating the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and its impact on Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
set up to mark the centenary of the conflict.
Office Bearers
The Society is run by a council whose membership includes the President, General Secretary, other office bearers and various ordinary members. In addition the Lord Provost of Dundee
The Lord Provost of Dundee is the chair and civic head of the City of Dundee local authority in Scotland. They are elected by the city council and serve not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead and Lord Lieutenant for the city. T ...
, the Provost of Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...
, the Provost of Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
, the Principal of the University of Dundee
The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...
and the Principal of the University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
all serve as Honorary Presidents of the Society.[
]
Relationship with the University of Dundee
As noted above the Abertay Historical Society was founded at what was then University College, Dundee by my members of that institution's staff. Since that time the AHS has maintained close links with the institution, which has since 1967 been known as the University of Dundee
The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...
. The Principal of the University of Dundee is one five Honorary Presidents of the Society, and many of the Society's members and office-holders, including past presidents, have been University staff and students. Equally many of its publications have been authored by figures connected with the University and the AHS' lecture programme has offers University staff and students the chance to present their research to the local community.
An annual prize is awarded by the AHS to the undergraduate at the University of Dundee who produces the dissertation which makes the most significant contribution to local history. Some of these dissertations have been expanded and published by the AHS. For example, the AHS publication No. 44 ''Scottish Cowboys and the Dundee Investors'' by Claire E. Swan evolved from a dissertation which won the Abertay History Prize in 2003. Julie Danskin, author of the Society's 54th publication is also a past winner of the Abertay History Prize.
The archives of the AHS are held by Archive Services at the University of Dundee.[
Currently most of the Society's lectures are held at the University, usually in the Dalhousie Building.]
Publications
The first publication by the society was ''Dundee and the American Civil War'' which was published in 1953 and was written by one of the Society's members, David Carrie. An editorial note in the publication announced that it was hoped, if finances allowed, that it would to 'be followed by others of similar
character, produced to a uniform size to simplify binding into convenient volumes'.[ It was also stated that while its publications would 'always have a strong local flavour the Society aims to
avoid undue parochialism and seeks to set its studies against the wide backcloth of general historical development'.][ As of December 2015 the Society has published a further 55 books relating to the history of Tayside and Fife.] Members of the Society are sent a free copy of each new publication, while other copies are made available for sale either from the Society or via booksellers. The publications have covered a wide number of topics and have varied in style. While most are monographs some titles have been collections of essays written by various authors. An example of the latter is the 2011 publication ''Ten Taysiders'' which featured biographical essays on ten historic figures from Dundee, Pethshire and Angus, such as Mary Ann Baxter
Mary Ann Baxter (1801 – 19 December 1884) was a noted philanthropist in the Scottish city of Dundee.
Family
Mary Ann Baxter was the daughter of William Baxter, founder of the Baxter Brothers And Co. Ltd. textile business.
She outlived all of ...
, A.K. Bell and William Sharpey
William Sharpey FRS FRSE LLD (1 April 1802 – 11 April 1880) was a Scottish anatomist and physiologist. Sharpey became the outstanding exponent of experimental biology and is described as the "father of British physiology".
Early life
Sharpe ...
and which was written by various authors including Steve Connelly, Fiona Scharlau, Charles Waterston, Graham Lowe, John MacEwen, John Kerr, William Kenefick and Kenneth Baxter.[
The following books have been published by the AHS:]
* No 1. Carrie, D.C., Dundee and the American Civil War, 1861-65 (1953)
* No 2. Turner, W.H.K., The Textile Industry of Arbroath since the early 18th century (1954)
* No 3. Walker, D.M., Architects and Architecture in Dundee, 1770-1914 (1955)
* No 4. Urquhart, E.A., Castle Huntly: its Development and History (1956)
* No 5. Lythe, S.G.E., Life and Labour in Dundee from the Reformation to the Civil War (1958)
* No 6. Carnie, R.H., Publishing in Perth before 1807(1960)
* No 7. Baxter, J.H., Dundee and the Reformation (1960)
* No 8. McNeill, W.A., Montrose before 1700: from original documents(1961)
* No 9. Mudie, Sir Francis & Walker, D. M., Mains Castle and the Grahams of Fintry (1964)
* No 10. Lythe, S.G.E., Courlays of Dundee: the Rise and Fall of a Scottish Shipbuilding Firm (1964)
* No 11. Wilson, E.M. (ed.) Aspects of antiquity a miscellany by members of the Archaeological Section of the Abertay Historical Society (1966)
* No 12. Doughty, D.W., The Tullis Press, Cupar, 1803-49 (1967)
* No 13. Lythe, S.G.E., Ward, J.T. & Southgate, D.G., Three Dundonians (1968)
* No 14. Lenman, B., Lythe, C. & Gauldie, E. Dundee and its Textile Industry, 1850-1914 (1969)
* No 15. Mudie, Sir Francis, Walker, D. M. & McIvor, I., Broughty Castle and the Defence of the Tay (1970)
* No 16. Duncan, A.A.M. (ed.), Scots Antiquaries and Historians: Papers read at the Silver Jubilee Conference of the Abertay Historical Society, 15 April 1972 (1972)
* No 17. Carstairs, A. M. The Tayside Industrial population 1911-1951 (1974)
* No 18. Walker, D.M., Architects and Architecture in Dundee, 1770-1914 (1977) - a reprint and expansion of publication number 3
* No 19. Smith, J.V., The Watt Institution, Dundee, 1824-49 (1978)
* No 20. Brown, W., Early Days in a Dundee Mill, 1819-1823: Extracts from the Diary of William Brown, an Early Dundee Spinner, edited by John Hume (1978)
* No 21. Haldane, A.R.B., The Great Fishmonger of the Tay: John Richardson of Perth & Pitfour 1760-1821 (1981)
* No 22. Whatley, C.A., That Important and Necessary Article: the Salt Industry and its Trade in Fife and Tayside c. 1570-1850 (1984)
* No 23. Hay, E. R., Focus on fishing Arbroath & Gourdon (1985)
* No 24. Dingwall, C.H., Ardler: a Village History: the Planned Railway Village of Washington (1985)
* No 25. Withers, C.W.J., Highland Communities in Dundee and Perth 1787-1891: a Study in the Social History of Migrant Highlanders (1986)
* No 26. Smith, A.M., The Three United Trades of Dundee: Masons, Wrights and Slaters (1987)
* No 27. Cameron, K.J., The Schoolmaster Engineer: Adam Anderson of Perth and St Andrews, c.1780-1846 (1988)
* No 28. Gauldie, E., One Artful and Ambitious Individual: Alexander Riddoch (1989)
* No 29. Taylor, D.B., Circular Homesteads in North West Perthshire (1990)
* No 30. Torrie, E.P.D., Medieval Dundee: a Town and its People (1990)
* No 31. Jackson, G., Kinnear, K., The Trade and Shipping of Dundee, 1780-1850 (1991)
* No 32. Whatley, C.A., (ed.), The Remaking of Juteopolis: Dundee 1891-1991 (1992)
* No 33. Leneman, L., Martyrs in our Midst: Dundee, Perth and the Forcible Feeding of Suffragettes (1993)
* No 34. McCraw, I., The Fairs of Dundee (1994)
* No 35. Smith, A.M., The Nine Trades of Dundee(1995)
* No 36. Robertson, S., Young, P., Daughter of Atholl: Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray
Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray (17 March 1868 – 30 July 1940) was a Scottish folklorist who collected Gaelic folk tales and songs. She was also a skilled needleworker and collector of embroidery and lace.
Life
Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray w ...
, 1868-1940 (1996)
* No 37. St. John, M., The Demands of the People: Dundee Radicalism 1850-1870 (1997)
* No 38. Mathew, W.M., Keiller's of Dundee: The Rise of the Marmalade Dynasty 1800-1879 (1998)
* No 39. Walsh, L., Patrons, Poverty and Profit: Organized Charity in Nineteenth-century Dundee (2000)
* No 40. Howe, S., William Low & Co.: a Family Business History (2000)
* No 41. McCraw, I., Victorian Dundee at Worship (2002)
* No 42. Scott, A.M., Dundee's Literary Lives: Vol. 1: Fifteenth to Nineteenth Century (2003)
* No 43. Scott, A.M., Dundee's Literary Lives: Vol. 2: Twentieth Century(2003)
* No 44. Swan, C.E., Scottish Cowboys and the Dundee Investors (2004)
* No 45. Smith, A.M., The Guildry of Dundee: a History of the Merchant Guild of Dundee up to the 19th Century (2005)
* No 46. Verschuur, M., A Noble and Potent Lady: Katherine Campbell, Countess of Crawford (2006)
* No 47. Cameron, K.J., The Schoolmaster Engineer: Adam Anderson of Perth and St Andrews, c.1780-1846 (2007)
* No 48. Browne, S.F., Making the Vote Count: the Arbroath Women Citizens Association, 1931-1945 (2007)
* No 49. Petrie, A., The 1915 Rent Strikes: an East Coast Perspective (2008)
* No 50. Mudie, Sir Francis, Walker, D. M., McIvor, I., Broughty Castle and the Defence of the Tay (2010)
* No 51. Various, Ten Taysiders: Forgotten Figures from Dundee, Angus and Perthshire (with an introduction by Billy Kay) (2011)
* No 52. Keracher, S., Dundee's Two Intrepid Ladies: A Tour Round the World by D C Thomson's Female Journalists in 1894 (2012)
* No 53. Davidson, F., Glen Clova
The Five Glens of Angus are the five Highland glens located in the western portion of the Angus region of Scotland. The five glens from westernmost to easternmost are:
*Glen Isla
*Glen Prosen
*Glen Clova
*Glen Lethnot
* Glen Esk
Glen Clova is ...
through the Ages: a Short Guide to the History of an Angus Glen (2013)
* No 54. Danskin, J. S., A City at War The 4th Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...
Dundee's Own (2013)
* No 55. Rice, Catherine, "All their Good Friends and Neighbours" The story of a vanished hamlet in Angus (2014)[
* No 56. Jarron, Matthew, "Independent & Individualist" Art in Dundee 1867-1924 (2015)][
* No 57. Dundas, Jean, & Orr, David, (eds.), "Quite Happy" The Diary of James Fyffe, Cattle Dealer 1836-1840 (2016)]
* No 58. Jarron, Matthew, Caudwell, Cathy and Pierce Owen, Meic, Growing and Forming – Essays on D’Arcy Thompson (2017)
* No 59. Kenefick, Billy and Patrick, Derek (eds.), Tayside at War (2018)
* No 60. Bannerman, Gordon, Baxter, Kenneth, Cook, Daniel and Jarron, Matthew, Creatures of Fancy – Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
in Dundee (2019)
The Society has undertaken a programme of making digital versions of some of its out of print publications available for free download from its website.
References
External links
Abertay Historical Society official website
Abertay Historical Society publications available for free download
Entry for the Abertay Historical Society at the University of Dundee Archive Services Online Catalogue
Abertay Historical Society
on Twitter
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Abertay Historical Society
on Facebook
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Archaeology of the United Kingdom
Archaeological organizations
Historical societies of the United Kingdom
Text publication societies
Organizations established in 1947
University of Dundee
1947 establishments in Scotland
Organisations based in Dundee
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Charities based in Scotland
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