A titan of engineering and construction, William Arrol established his company in the early 1870s, when Glasgow was developing as an industrial city and the revolutionary Siemens Martin process was enabling the mass production of cheap steel. Arrol made his name with the construction of the Forth Bridge (1890), and is also known for the … Continue reading Sir William Arrol (1839-1913) – The Engineer
Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835-1928) – The Accused
On 30 June 1857 the trial of Madeleine Smith began. A young woman from a prosperous Glasgow family, Smith was charged with, on three separate occasions, administering arsenic or other poison to Pierre Emile L’Angelier with intent to kill, twice in February and once in March 1857. It was this accusation and the subsequent … Continue reading Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835-1928) – The Accused
Getting started with digital preservation
Our Digital Records Unit is launching two new digital preservation tools this summer. These guidance and capacity planning tools have been specifically developed for Scottish local authorities. They are the product of a 12 month project and will assist local authority archivists and record managers get started with digital preservation. The guidance tool will help … Continue reading Getting started with digital preservation
Trudeau’s Scottish family
You may well be aware that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edinburgh this morning to meet the Queen. During his visit, he also visited the National Museum of Scotland, where he saw Canadian artefacts, as well as documents on his family history from National Records of Scotland which show his Scottish ancestry over … Continue reading Trudeau’s Scottish family
WW1 and the Census
Preparations are now under way for Scotland's Census 2021 but a hundred years ago the First World War had a dramatic impact on the people who planned and delivered the census in 1921. This photo shows Census staff in 1911 in what is now the Archivist's Garden between General Register House and New Register House … Continue reading WW1 and the Census
White gloves
If you watched and enjoyed “The Hector: From Scotland to Nova Scotia” on BBC 2 yesterday (if you missed the programme it’s currently on the iplayer), you’ll have seen Neil Oliver viewing documents in our Historical Search Room. You may also have noticed he’s wearing white gloves – something we don’t generally require readers in … Continue reading White gloves
Connecticut Connection
National Records of Scotland is known for its records, research and other artefacts, but we also hold a number of antiques at various buildings around Edinburgh. One interesting example is a chiming clock which hangs on the wall in a meeting room at West Register House, Charlotte Square. This clock, a Chauncey Jerome, was recently repaired … Continue reading Connecticut Connection
Weeding Scotland’s Courts
Every summer, a team of NRS archivists visits Sheriff Courts all over Scotland to collect historical records for preservation and storage. Case records must be retained for decades after the cases finish for future appeals, cold case reviews and police enquiries, so it’s vital they are kept safe and secure. Centuries from now, these cases … Continue reading Weeding Scotland’s Courts
A 1920s family photograph album
As well as locating and surveying historical papers held in private hands, the National Register of Archives for Scotland (NRAS) is often in the position of trying to find a good home for archives. And sometimes this is not at all straightforward. Take for instance a photograph album bound in soft leather found in a … Continue reading A 1920s family photograph album
Birds nest manuscript
We have a number of curiosities in our archives, but one of the odder items is the contents of a birds' nest. No ordinary nest, this one, found in the roof of St Giles Cathedral in 1961, was lined with papers from Scotland's exchequer records. Keeper of the Records of Scotland from 1985-1990 Dr Athol … Continue reading Birds nest manuscript
Open Book 