This volume, the earlier of the two-volume official History of Aberdeen, provides a comprehensive picture of the development of the two historic burghs of Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen over their first seven centuries, from 1100 to 1800. As early as the 14th century, Aberdeen was: recognized as one of the 'four great towns of Scotland'. Early settlement, the growing townscape and social change over the centuries are all traced. Aberdeen's contacts with the sea and other towns overseas and its economy and politics, both local and national, are assessed. And Aberdonians themselves, the vital forces behind the history of the two burghs, are highlighted: their faith and culture, homes and health, and their education and pastimes are all rediscovered.

To Mark the New Millennium Aberdeen City Council has commissioned a new history of Aberdeen in two volumes: Aberdeen, 1800 to 2000 and Aberdeen before 1800.

Exploring the medieval heritage of Aberdeenshire and Moray, the essays in this volume contain insights and recent work presented at the British Archaeological Association Conference of 2014, based at Aberdeen University. The opening, historical chapters establish the political, economic and administrative context of the region, looking at both the secular and religious worlds and include an examination of Elgin Cathedral and the bishops’ palaces. The discoveries at the excavations of the kirk of St Nicholas, which have revealed the early origins of religious life in Aberdeen city, are summarized and subsequent papers consider the role of patronage. Patronage is explored in terms of architecture, the dramas of the Reformation and its aftermath highlighted through essentially humble parish churches, assailed by turbulent events and personalities. The collegiate church at Cullen, particularly its tomb sculpture, provides an unusually detailed view of the spiritual and dynastic needs of its patrons. The decoration of spectacular ceilings, both carved and painted, at St Machar’s Cathedral, Provost Skene’s House and Crathes Castle, are surveyed through the eyes of their patrons and the viewers below. Saints and religious devotion feature in the last four chapters, focusing on the carved wooden panels from Fetteresso, which display both piety and a rare glimpse of Scottish medieval carnal humour, the illuminated manuscripts from Arbuthnott, the Aberdeen Breviary and Historia Gentis Scotorum. The medieval artistic culture of north-east Scotland is both battered by time and relatively little known. With discerning interpretation, this volume shows that much high-quality material still survives, while the lavish illustrations restore some glamour to this lost medieval world.

In-depth study of the history and family lines of Gourdon, Scotland, in particular the Gowan family.

Explores networks of lawyers, legislators and litigators, and how they shape legal development in Britain and the world.

From the medieval period until the Victorian era, Aberdeen was comprised of two separate burghs, Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen. Old Aberdeen was centered on St. Machar's Cathedral when King David I established a new bishopric there around 1125. New Aberdeen, a burgh since 1214, was an important regional market town and port. The two burghs each had their own burgh council, burgess roll, court, college, and other institutions that maintained their own records. The two burghs merged in the mid-19th century to establish a unified city. Aberdeen became the major city in north-east Scotland, with its economy based on industries such as shipbuilding, whaling, herring fishing, woolens such as stocking-making, and papermaking. This book contains references to people from Aberdeen at home and abroad between 1800 and 1850. The entries bring together emigrants, their destinations, especially in North America, the West Indies, and Australasia, with their kin who remained in Scotland. The information is derived from a wide range of sources such as court records, contemporary newspapers and journals, monumental inscriptions, and documents found in archives. The Statistical Report of Scotland (OSA), compiled between 1791 and 1799, and the new Statistical Report, conducted between 1832 and 1845, are especially helpful for understanding the rapid changes in Scottish society brought about by the agricultural and industrial revolutions during this period. This work should enable researchers with roots in Aberdeen to put their family into a historical context.