The movie Mary, Queen of Scots starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie premieres today in Edinburgh, so we asked NRS archivist Dr Alison Rosie to look at the real Mary I and at what our records reveal about the Kingdom of Scotland’s most famous and (spoilers!) tragic Queen. National Records of Scotland holds many documents which … Continue reading From the NRS Archives: Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587)
From the NRS Archives: The Crime That Shook Glasgow, 1916
Court papers and a striking crime scene map reveal how an everyday argument between neighbours culminated in a terrifying explosion and the arrest of a wounded war veteran for the murder of three people. NRS project cataloguers working on records of the Military Pensions Appeal Tribunal recently discovered the case of a former soldier who had … Continue reading From the NRS Archives: The Crime That Shook Glasgow, 1916
From the NRS Archives: Servicemen in Scotland’s Asylums, August 1918
Now released after 100 years, asylum admission records shed light on the treatment of civilians and soldiers suffering from mental health conditions. Shell shock – a contemporary term used to describe the psychological trauma experienced by soldiers who fought on the battlefields of the First World War – is familiar from documentaries, movies and novels. … Continue reading From the NRS Archives: Servicemen in Scotland’s Asylums, August 1918
A Lovely Gift
There are times when the conservator’s bench can be blessed by an object capable of tickling one’s imagination. That is what happened to me when a single section booklet from a Gift and Deposit collection in the National Records of Scotland materialised on my table: an 18th century recipe book from the papers of the … Continue reading A Lovely Gift
Christmas: Banned in Scotland!
Christmas is now well established in Scotland as a time for giving, enjoying the company of loved ones, decorating the Christmas tree and of course, indulging in some Christmas feasting! But until relatively recently, Scotland did not celebrate Christmas, at least, not openly. For over 400 years, Christmas was frowned upon in Scotland and its … Continue reading Christmas: Banned in Scotland!
Conservation – A Volume 500 Years In The Making
From today until the end of November, a facsimile of the 500-year-old Halyburton Ledger will be on display and free to view at General Register House. Ahead of his free talk about the Ledger this Friday, NRS Conservator Peter Dickson tells us how he made a facsimile of the volume and what he learned about … Continue reading Conservation – A Volume 500 Years In The Making
A Very Arduous Period – The Register Houses During WWI, with Dr Tristram Clarke
In the last of our three World War One podcasts, NRS Head of Outreach Dr Tristram Clarke looks at the forgotten stories of the men who exchanged their pens and desks in Edinburgh's Register Houses for rifles and helmets in France, Flanders and the Dardanelles, some never to return. He also explores the contribution of those who … Continue reading A Very Arduous Period – The Register Houses During WWI, with Dr Tristram Clarke
The Register House Roll of Honour, 1914 -1918
Inside General Register House at the east end of Princes Street in Edinburgh, there is a small plaque which commemorates Charles Whitehead Yule, an assistant curator in the historical department who was killed in action during the First World War. While researching an article about Charles Yule, Dr Tristram Clarke – Head of Outreach here at … Continue reading The Register House Roll of Honour, 1914 -1918
Behind The Wire: Scottish POWs 1914-1918, with Dr Tristram Clarke
In this week's Open Book podcast Dr Tristram Clarke, Head of Outreach at NRS, looks in detail at the people, the items and the stories that inspired our current exhibition, For You The War Is Over: Scottish POWs 1914-1918. Each soldier tells a different story - some of them were imprisoned in 1918 and others were captured during the war's … Continue reading Behind The Wire: Scottish POWs 1914-1918, with Dr Tristram Clarke
A Royal At A Wedding
This wedding entry is for Victoria Alberta McDonald and Alfred Blaker, who married in Crathie, Aberdeenshire on 4 November 1897. It's particularly notable for the identity of one of the witnesses - Victoria R. I. The initials stand for "Regina et Imperatrix" or "Queen and Empress". The bride at this wedding, Victoria McDonald, was the … Continue reading A Royal At A Wedding
