Abertay Historical Society

• Reference:GB 254 MS 21
• Dates of Creation:1935-2012
• Name of Creator:
  Abertay Historical Society
• Physical Description:
  3.40 linear metres

• Scope and Content

  Constitution, rules and related papers 1948-1978; minute books of Council and general meetings with related material 1947-2004; financial records 1947-1998; Programme Secretary files 1973-1998; Publication Secretary files 1952-2000; Archaeological Section reports, correspondence and notices, questionnaires and schedules relating to the Society's excursions, correspondence between Abertay Historical Society and various agencies, 1973-1996; correspondence relating to the Abertay Archaeological Section and other archaeological organisations 1959-1970; miscellaneous photographs, letters and notes 1960-c.1975; miscellaneous photographs and publications c.1972-2000; research conducted by former members 20th century; miscellaneous material. 1957-1988

• Administrative / Biographical History

  The Abertay Historical Society was founded at a meeting in University College, Dundee on 29 May, 1947 by the Principal, Major-General D.N. Wimberley and History Lecturer, Dr Wainwright. It was formed to encourage the study of local history in Angus, Perthshire and Fife.
  The Society and the University of Dundee have maintained close links: its meetings are normally held on University premises, while many members and office-holders have been University staff, including several presidents. The Society's original remit has been implemented through talks and lectures, excursions and annual publications, and with other agencies, it has also lobbied for the preservation of local historical buildings. It was instrumental in the creation of Dundee Heritage Trust. The Society also takes part in the Dundee Afternoon Lecture Series, which is run jointly by the Dundee Centre of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Dundee Members' Group of the National Trust for Scotland, the Dundee Naturalists' Society and the Abertay Historical Society. While based in Dundee, the Society also organises events in other parts of the Abertay area.
  The Archaeological Section of the Society was originally started as a semi-independent division of the Society, organising local excavations, and its own series of meetings, but from 1993, it was decided that the Council would oversee the running of the Section. The mid-1990s also saw the end of members excursions. For a brief period in the early 1970s, there was also an Industrial Archaeology Section, mainly concerned with recording the local industrial heritage. The archaeological work carried out by the Society has, since 2015, been organised by its Fieldwork Division.
  Since 1953, the Society has produced publications, usually on an annual basis, with the majority written by members.

• Arrangement

  Records are arranged chronologically within series. Some material is awaiting arrangement.

• Access Information

  Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

• Acquisition Information

  The records have been regularly deposited by office holders of the Society since 1985 (AccM/216, AccM/247, AccM/271, AccM/321, AccM/365, AccM/367, AccM/424, AccM/439, AccM/458, Acc2002/38, Acc2002/72, Acc2003/114, Acc 2017/940)

• Note

  The Abertay Historical Society was founded at a meeting in University College, Dundee on 29 May, 1947 by the Principal, Major-General D.N. Wimberley and History Lecturer, Dr Wainwright. It was formed to encourage the study of local history in Angus, Perthshire and Fife.
  The Society and the University of Dundee have maintained close links: its meetings are normally held on University premises, while many members and office-holders have been University staff, including several presidents. The Society's original remit has been implemented through talks and lectures, excursions and annual publications, and with other agencies, it has also lobbied for the preservation of local historical buildings. It was instrumental in the creation of Dundee Heritage Trust. The Society also takes part in the Dundee Afternoon Lecture Series, which is run jointly by the Dundee Centre of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Dundee Members' Group of the National Trust for Scotland, the Dundee Naturalists' Society and the Abertay Historical Society. While based in Dundee, the Society also organises events in other parts of the Abertay area.
  The Archaeological Section of the Society was originally started as a semi-independent division of the Society, organising local excavations, and its own series of meetings, but from 1993, it was decided that the Council would oversee the running of the Section. The mid-1990s also saw the end of members excursions. For a brief period in the early 1970s, there was also an Industrial Archaeology Section, mainly concerned with recording the local industrial heritage. The archaeological work carried out by the Society has, since 2015, been organised by its Fieldwork Division.
  Since 1953, the Society has produced publications, usually on an annual basis, with the majority written by members.

• Other Finding Aids

  Descriptive list. Subject source lists and databases are also available.

• Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

  The records are on paper, and include some photographs

• Archivist's Note

  Description compiled by Gary Smith. Amended by Kenneth Baxter, October 2017-March 2018 & September 2018 and June 2019

• Conditions Governing Use

  Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.

• Custodial History

  The documentation in this collection was created by various members of the Society, generally in their capacity as office-holders.

• Accruals

  Expected

• Related Material

  Abertay Historical Society has had close links with Dundee Heritage Trust, Verdant Works, West Henderson's Wynd, Dundee DD1 5BT. It has published the following publications - Dundee and the American Civil War, 1861-65, David C Carrie (1953), The Textile Industry in Arbroath since the Early 18th Century, W.H.K. Turner (1954), Architects and Architecture in Dundee, 1770-1914, David M. Walker (1955), Castle Huntly, Its Development and History, Edward A.Urquhart (1956), Life and Labour in Dundee, From the Reformation to the Civil War, S.G.E. Lythe (1958), Dundee and the Reformation, J.H. Baxter (1960), Aspects of Antiquity: A Miscellany by Members of the Archaeological Section of the Abertay Historical Society, collected by Elise M. Wilson (1966), The Tullis Press, Cupar, 1803-1849, D.W. Doughty (1967), "Three Dundonians" James Carmichael, by S.G.E. Lythe, Charles W. Boase, by J.T. Ward, Edwin Scrymgeour, by D.G. Southgate (1968), Dundee and its Textile Industry, 1850-1914, Bruce Lenman, Charlotte Lythe, Enid Gauldie (1969), Scots Antiquaries and Historians, (1972), The Tayside Industrial Population, 1911-1951, A.M. Carstairs (1974), Dundee Architecture and Architects, 1770-1914, David M. Walker (1976), The Watt Institution, Dundee 1824-49, James V. Smith (1977), Early Mills in a Dundee Mill, 1819-23, William Brown (1980), The Great Fishmonger of the Tay, John Richardson of Perth & Pitfour, A.R.B. Haldane (1981), 'That important and necessary article', The Salt Industry and its Trade in Fife and Tayside, c.1570-1850, C.A. Whatley (1984), Focus on Fishing, Arbroath and Gourdon, Edna R. Hay and Bruce Walker (1985), Ardler-A Village History; The Planned Railway Village of Washington, Christopher H. Dingwall (1985), The Three United Trades of Dundee, Masons, Wrights and Slaters, Annette M Smith (1987), The Schoolmaster Engineer, Adam Anderson of Perth and St. Andrews, 1780-1846, Kenneth J Cameron (1988), One Artful and Ambitious Individual, Alexander Riddoch (1745-1822); Provost of Dundee 1787-1819, Enid Gauldie (1989), Circular Homesteads in North West Perthshire, D.B. Taylor (1990), Medieval Dundee, A Town and its People, Elizabeth P.D. Torrie (1990), The Trade and Shipping of Dundee, 1780-1850, Gordon Jackson with Kate Kinnear (1991), The Remaking of Juteopolis, Dundee c.1891-19, Christopher A. Whatley (ed.) (1992), Martyrs in Our Midst; Dundee, Perth and the Forcible Feeding of the Suffragettes, Leah Leneman (1993), The Fairs of Dundee, Ian McGraw (1994), The Nine Trades of Dundee, Annette M. Smith (1995), Daughter of Atholl, Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray 1868-1940, Sylvia Robertson and Patricia Young (1996), The demands of the people: Dundee radicalism 1850-1870, Michael St. John (1997), Keiller's of Dundee: The Rise of the Marmalade Dynasty 1800-1879 W.M. Mathew, (1998) Patrons, Poverty and Profit: Organized Charity in Nineteenth-century Dundee, Lorraine Walsh (2000), William Low & Co.: a Family Business History, Stewart Howe (2000),Victorian Dundee at Worship, Ian McCraw, (2002), Dundee's Literary Lives: Vol. 1: Fifteenth to Nineteenth Century, Andrew Murray Scott (2003),Scott, A.M., Dundee's Literary Lives: Vol. 2: Twentieth Century Andrew Murray Scott (2003), Scottish Cowboys and the Dundee Investors Claire E Swan, (2004), The Guildry of Dundee: a History of the Merchant Guild of Dundee up to the 19th Century Annette M Smith, (2005), A Noble and Potent Lady: Katherine Campbell, Countess of Crawford, Mary Verschuur, (2006), The Schoolmaster Engineer: Adam Anderson of Perth and St Andrews, c.1780-1846, Kenneth J. Cameron (2007) Making the Vote Count: the Arbroath Women Citizens Association, 1931-1945, Sarah F. Browne, (2007) The 1915 Rent Strikes: an East Coast Perspective, Ann Petrie, (2008) Broughty Castle and the Defence of the Tay (Revised edition) Sir Francis Mudie, David M., Walker and Iain MacIvor, (2010), Ten Taysiders: Forgotten Figures from Dundee, Angus and Perthshire, various authors (2011), Dundee's Two Intrepid Ladies: A Tour Round the World by D C Thomson's Female Journalists in 1894 Susan Keracher, (2012) Glen Clova through the Ages: a Short Guide to the History of an Angus Glen, Flora Davidson (2013) A City at War The 4th Black Watch Dundee's Own, Julie S Danskin (2013), "All their Good Friends and Neighbours" The story of a vanished hamlet in Angus, Catherine Rice (2014), "Independent & Individualist" Art in Dundee 1867-1924, Matthew Jarron (2015), "Quite Happy" The Diary of James Fyffe, Cattle Dealer 1836-1840 Jean Dundas and David Orr (eds) (2016), Growing and Forming - Essays on D'Arcy Thompson, Matthew Jarron, Cathy Caudwell and Meic Pierce Owen, (2017) Tayside at War (2018) Derek Patrick and Billy Kenefick (eds)

• Additional Information

  Published

  Catalogued

  MS 21

• Subjects

  Clubs and societies