Robert Kerr Hannay (31 December 1867, Glasgow – 19 March 1940, Edinburgh) was a Scottish historian. He served as Historiographer Royal for Scotland and Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...

. He collected and calendared the letters of both

James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...

and

James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and du ...

, and wrote ''The Early History of the Scottish Signet''.

Life

He was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

on 31 December 1867. He was the eldest of seven children of Elizabeth McDowall of

Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot wher ...

, and Thomas Hannay (1841–1916). His father owned the estate of Rusco, but in 1878 had sold it to settle debts, theafter becoming an agent for the iron-masters William Whitwell & Co. The family thereafter lived at 16 Woodside Terrace in Glasgow. He was educated at the Albany Academy in

. He then went first to the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

graduating with an MA from the latter in 1891. He began lecturing in Ancient History at the

University of Dundee , mottoeng = "My soul doth magnify the Lord" , established = 1967 – gained independent university status by Royal Charter1897 – Constituent college of the University of St Andrews1881 – University College , ...

in 1894. In 1901 he transferred to 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 ...

. From 1911 to 1919 he left academia to act as Curator of Register House in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. From 1919 to 1930 he was Sir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography the

. From 1930 he was Historiographer Royal for Scotland. In 1922 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. His proposers were Cargill Gilston Knott,

James Hartley Ashworth James Hartley Ashworth FRS FRSE DSc SZS (2 May 1874 – 4 February 1936) was a British marine zoologist. Life See He was born on 2, May 1874, in Accrington in Lancashire, the only son of James Ashworth. He spent most of his early life in Bu ...

James Alfred Ewing Sir James Alfred Ewing MInstitCE (27 March 1855 − 7 January 1935) was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, '' hy ...

, and Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker. The University of St Andrews awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1923. He was living at 5

Royal Terrace, Edinburgh Royal Terrace is a grand street in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the north side of Calton Hill within the New Town and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1995, built on the south side of a setted street, facing the sloping ...

, in 1936 and died in

on 19 March 1940.

Family

In 1899 he married Jane Ewing Wilson CBE (died 1938), daughter of Rev John Stewart Wilson DD of New Abbet. They had one son, Robert Stewart Erskine Hannay (born 1900). He is the grandfather of writer Robert Alastair Hannay.

Publications

*The Arch-Bishops of St Andrews (co-written with Sir

John Herkless Sir John Herkless (9 August 1855 – 11 June 1920) was a Scottish biographer and educator who was Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of St. Andrews and Principal of United College of St Salvator and St Leonard from 1915 to 1920. ...

) (1907) *St Cuthbert's Kirk and its Saint (1933) *The Letters of James IV (1953) *The Letters of James V (1954)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannay, Robert Kerr 1867 births 1940 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 20th-century Scottish historians 19th-century Scottish historians Writers from Glasgow Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of University College, Oxford Academics of the University of Dundee Academics of the University of St Andrews Scottish curators Academics of the University of Edinburgh