…“In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.”… In Flanders Fields by John McCrae Remembrance Day is a time to commemorate those who gave their lives and served in wars and military conflicts. Established after … Continue reading Remembrance Day 2025
Retracing Sancho’s Steps: Countertenor Visit to the National Records of Scotland
"Inverary is a charming place--the beauties various--and the whole plan majestic…We had herrings in perfection…The Loch-Loman--Ben-Loman--Domiquith--and Arsenhoe--with Hamilton and Douglas houses--are by much too long for description by letter.--We paraded to Edinburgh last Friday in a post coach…and dined at Lord Chief Baron's…” Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho: An African, to which are Prefixed, … Continue reading Retracing Sancho’s Steps: Countertenor Visit to the National Records of Scotland
Doors Open Days 2025 at General Register House
National Records of Scotland (NRS) is taking part in Doors Open Days (DOD) again this year, on Saturday 27th September. The aim of DOD is to give everyone the opportunity to explore some of the most architecturally and culturally significant buildings in Scotland, places which are not usually open to the public or which usually charge an entry … Continue reading Doors Open Days 2025 at General Register House
The lost Trinity Collegiate Church
Before the foundation of Waverley station, the north side of Edinburgh’s old town looked very different. For nearly 400 years, the Trinity Collegiate Church was a stalwart feature of the Edinburgh city landscape. ‘Registrum domus de Soltre, necnon Ecclesie Collegiate S Trinitatis prope Edinburgh’, edited by D Laing In the late 1450s, James II set … Continue reading The lost Trinity Collegiate Church
A lover’s knot: Valentine’s Day in the archives
National Records of Scotland, Papers of James Basley. Courtesy of Lindsays, GD1/1195/10 Archives hold evidence of many things. Organisations, people, events, transactions and, of course, relationships. While many records can illuminate the actions of people or a chain of events, some give tantalising glimpses that ask more questions than they answer. This poem, written inside … Continue reading A lover’s knot: Valentine’s Day in the archives
The illusive life of plasterer Thomas Clayton Junior
As General Register House celebrates its 250th anniversary, now seems an opportune moment to shed light on those who helped to create the building and its interiors. Thomas Clayton Junior (1743-1793) was the plasterer responsible for decorating the famous central dome as well as numerous other walls within the building. Frequently confused with his father, … Continue reading The illusive life of plasterer Thomas Clayton Junior
Part 3 – Tytler’s rise and fall
Following our post 'Part 2 - Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon' from last week, we continue the story of James Tytler. Aerostation plate from the third edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.Image credit: http://www.archive.org. Public domain The success Tytler found in launching and piloting his fire balloon in August 1784, was sadly not to … Continue reading Part 3 – Tytler’s rise and fall
Scotland’s pioneering Olympic stars
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris is within touching distance and as Olympic fever mounts, we look back at Scottish athletes who have broken records in previous Games. In Paris 1924, it was Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell (16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) who stole the headlines, breaking the Olympic and world … Continue reading Scotland’s pioneering Olympic stars
Part 2 – Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon
This is part two of our profile of James Tytler, the first person in Britain to fly by hot air balloon. Part one is available here on Open Book. Tytler was not alone in his enthusiasm for the possibilities offered by air balloons as a means of human conveyance and by the early 1780s fully-fledged … Continue reading Part 2 – Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon
The sky’s the limit: James Tytler and balloon-mania in the archives – part 1
Should you have been on Edinburgh’s Princes Street, a little before noon on Monday 19 July 1784, you would have been greeted by an extraordinary sight. The elegant and imposing Register Office (now General Register House), the first purpose-built public records repository in Britain and Ireland and still the home of the National Records of … Continue reading The sky’s the limit: James Tytler and balloon-mania in the archives – part 1
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