Scottish History Society

= The Scottish History Society =

The Scottish History Society is the leading publisher of manuscript sources relating to the history of Scotland. Founded in 1886, the Society has published over 170 volumes; taken together, these form a collection of great richness and variety illustrating the history of the nation as recorded by contemporaries.

Scottish History Society volumes cover all periods from the twelfth to the twentieth centuries and a very wide range of topics - social, economic, legal, political, constitutional, diplomatic, military and religious history, as well as farming, gardening and the joys of good housekeeping! In addition to making available sources vital to the study and writing of Scottish history, most volumes have substantial introductions by the editors. The volumes are thus not only of value to professional historians and teachers of history, but to all who take an interest in Scotland’s past.

History

The 1880s, the decade in which the Society was founded, saw a strong revival of interest in all things Scottish, the identity of the nation, its past and its future. One of the most influential figures in this revival was the Earl of Rosebery; he played a major part in the creation of the office of Secretary for Scotland as a first step in administrative devolution, and the Society was founded as the result of a suggestion he made in a letter published in The Scotsman. Rosebury had a deep interest in Scottish History, and as the first president of the Society he defined its work as ‘the humble and unobtrusive task of letting everyman know' in so far as in us lies, and so far as documentary evidence exists, how our forebears lived and worked and carried on the business of their country in their separate spheres’.

Publications

The first publications, in October 1887, were "Bishop Pococke's Tours in Scotland, 1747-1760", edited by D W Kemp, and the "Diary of and General Expenditure Book of William Cunningham of Craigends, 1673-1680", edited by the Reverend James Dodds. Since then (almost!) annual publications have completed five series of SHS volumes.

Since 2007, the new series (series 6) of the SHS volumes has been published with Boydell and Brewer. SHS volumes are available commercially through Boydell and Brewer (http://www.boydell.co.uk) or as part of subscription to the Scottish History Society (see Membership below). This series begins with the highly successful "Chronicle of Melrose Abbey: a Stratigraphic Edition. Volume I: Introduction and Facsimile Edition" edited by Dauvit Broun and Julian Harrison (2007).

Membership

The SHS is a non-profit making body with the status of a charity. In carrying out its work it relies on the support and on the subscriptions of its members. Anyone with a real interest in Scotland and her past is invited by the SHS to consider seriously becoming a member. There are no formal qualifications or requirements for membership.

Members give active support to one of the oldest and most valuable projects in Scottish historical studies; payment of the due subscription entitles them to receive a free copy of each of the Society’s publications. These normally consist of one volume (attractively produced and bound) each year.

The SHS currently has around 350 individual memberships and 150 institutional and library memberships.

Were it not for the Society many of these essential tools for the study of Scottish history would never be published at all; and any that were produced by commercial publishers would cost much more than the Society’s current annual subscription.

The Annual General Meeting of the Society is held in Edinburgh on a Saturday morning in December. On this occasion the President of the Society, a distinguished Scottish historian of the day, delivers a lecture, and there is an opportunity for members to meet each other socially.

President of the Society

The prestigious position of President of the Scottish History Society is held for a four year term. The current president is Dr Iain Hutchison of the University of Stirling. Previous presidents include Dr Jenny Wormald.

Office Bearers of the Society

There are four principal office bearers of the society: Chairman (called by custom the Convenor), Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, and Publications Secretary (and by custom also the General Editor). The current office holders are Dr Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow (Convenor); Dr Katie Stevenson of the University St Andrews (Honorary Secretary); Dr Alan MacDonald of the University of Dundee (Honorary Treasurer); and Dr Sharon Adams of the University of Edinburgh (Publications Secretary and General Editor).

Ordinary Council Members

There are twelve ordinary council members who serve a term of four years. Current council members are Dr Alasdair Ross (University of Stirling); Dr Eila Williamson (University of Edinburgh); Mr Norman Shead (Glasgow); Dr William Kenefick (University of Dundee); Dr Steve Murdoch (University of St Andrews); Dr David Brown (National Archives of Scotland); Dr Gordon Pentland (University of Edinburgh); Dr Alison Cathcart (University of Strathclyde); Dr Bill Inglis; Alex Woolf (University of St Andrews); Mr Ralph McLean (University of Glasgow); and Mr Kenneth Dunn (National Library of Scotland).

Further Information

Further information on the SHS, its publications and its activities can be found at the Scottish History Society website http://www.scottishhistorysociety.org