vivdunstan

Lovely is waking to proofs of the next "Miscellany" volume from the Scottish History Society, including my own piece - full annotated transcript plus accompanying essay - about a historical poem about events at the Melrose court in 1682. Very much looking forward to seeing the finished volume in print.

I studied the Melrose local court records for the dissertation portion of my taught MPhil history degree at Dundee, 2001-3. I only discovered this poem lurking hidden in the depths of the Edinburgh national archives afterwards. And was rather stunned, because it correlates closely with the history as recorded conventionally, while providing a totally fresh take on it. All including a vitriolic character assassination of the newly appointed judge! It took me ages to transcribe the 17th century handwriting - definitely at my limits. But got there, and then ended up sending in a proposal for an edited transcript + essay for the Scottish History Society. Which was accepted. That was 6+ years ago. It's taken a long time to get to print. But nearly there now!

After submitting another academic journal paper (wish me luck!) briefly pausing to take stock of others in progress. 4 more in development; all Scottish history; 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th centuries; genealogy & court history, legal history, black history, music history & popular culture. Lots to do!

Researching, writing and submitting these - including dealing with all the *fun* of peer review - as a sole author is *interesting*. But something I enjoy, and will keep doing for as long as I can.

Wish my brain would stop thinking "I'll just look up another 16th/17th century testament (will and/or inventory) to study in ScotlandsPeople" when the website is still down! Hope it comes back ok after its latest upgrade / revamp. And hope it's not as disastrous as some other website revamps inc SP.

To be fair it's not as though I don't have enough existing historical document images on hand to work on. I just perversely want to go to the website - at the worst possible time! - and get more.

Although I struggle hugely with print now I can still generally read plays in that format. And rarely read them in ebook. But I did this time, to reread Macbeth, which I probably last read 35 or so years ago in school. I've also more recently seen other televised or movie versions. So do remember much of the plot.

Reading a play script book is often rather strange. This time I decided to ignore the lengthy analytical introduction, which to be honest was better read after I'd finished. And dived straight in. Much of the play has a very minimal cast, but there's backstory and wider things early on that can get confusing. The scenes focusing on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are best. And why does Banquo talk in such a flowery long-winded way?!

Reading an ebook version of a play text had the advantage that it allowed lots of useful jumping about easily to footnotes. And this Penguin edition was well footnoted. Usually to explain specific words rather than lengthy academic history paper type digressions! For example I was thrown by the word "sewer", thinking it literally meant that place. But no, it was a servant. Thank goodness for footnotes.

I am amazed just how many key quotes there are in this particular Shakespeare play. Many of which I remembered from long ago, but others surprised me by popping up here. It's remarkably packed full of stuff.

And action packed. Oh yes, action packed. Staging it must also involve a lot of fake blood ...

As a Scottish historian it's also fascinating to see this depiction of Scottish history, through a 17th century English lens, with the complex situation of James VI and I not long on the throne in London.

I plan to watch the Ian McKellen and Judi Dench 1970s stage version soon. Meanwhile yes, that was a good read.

Happy to be sitting up doing some more old document reading. And thank goodness again for easy colour/balance graphics processing software to make it more readable! Here a testament testamentar (Scottish will and inventory) from 1648. The vast bulk of this 3-page document is a very detailed will. By my 11xg-uncle. Which mentions so many relatives, only some of whom I've figured out. This is related to the academic journal paper I've mentioned recently about the royal secretary (his granddad).

From Samuel Pepys on this day in 1660: “And afterwards did send for a Cupp of Tee (a China drink of which I never had drunk before)”

Just added an icon for my historical research posts. It’s based on the testament (after death thingy, similar to probate in England) for an ancestor in East Lothian in 1687. Here’s the original source image.