Collection of romantic era Scottish Borders poetry,18th and 19th centuries
- Reference:GB 237 Coll-1542
- Dates of Creation:1711-1849
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:1 box
Scope and Content
The collection of poetry is composed of 10 basic groups, and in folders containing:
- Original poems by Whitelaw Ainslie, Cairnbank
- Original poems by Jane Kelly, Dunbar, mostly
- Original poems by James Dudgeon
- Original poems by William Dudgeon
- Robert Burns related items
- Walter Scott related items
- Printed items
- Original poems
- Items dated 1711 and 1723
- Poems possibly not in the original hand
The collection includes poems, charades, enigmas and letters.
Administrative / Biographical History
This collection of romantic poetry includes material by Sir Whitelaw Ainslie (1767-1837), surgeon and writer, William Dudgeon (1753?–1813), poet, James Dudgeon and Jane Kellie.
Sir Whitelaw Ainslie, surgeon and writer on materia medica, was born in Duns, Berwickshire, on 17 February 1767. He became a surgeon with the East India Company in 1788. By 1814 he was superintending surgeon of the southern division of the Army, in the then Madras. He retired the following year, returning to Britain. He was knighted in 1835 and he died on 29 April 1837.
William Dudgeon born circa 1753 at Tyninghame, East Lothian. His father, a farmer, took out a thirty year lease of an extensive tract of land near Duns in Berwickshire for him. He cultivtaed it successfully, and it was given the name Primrose Hill. Dudgeon died on 28 October 1813, and was buried in the churchyard of Prestonkirk, East Linton, East Lothian.
James Dudgeon was a brother of William Dudgeon, and both were relations of the Ainslies.
Jane Kellie was an accomplished but little known poet.
Access Information
Open to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance of visit.
Acquisition Information
The material was acquired by purchase. Accession no: E2014.31.
Archivist's Note
Catalogued by Graeme D. Eddie 6 June 2014
Subjects
Personal Names