| Administrative History | Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742 - 1811), politician, was born on 28 April 1742 at Arniston House, Midlothian, fourth son among seven children of Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston (1685 - 1753), and his second wife, Ann (1705 – 1797). Educated at Edinburgh University, his early career was at the bar, before entering politics in 1774. By 1775, he became lord advocate in succession to Sir James Montgomery. Since the abolition of the post of secretary of state for Scotland after the last Jacobite rising in 1746, the lord advocate had become the country's chief officer of government. His close friendship with William Pitt saw Dundas appointed home secretary in 1791, remaining in the Cabinet until 1801. Dundas retired to Scotland and was raised him to the peerage in 1802 as Viscount Melville and Baron Dunira.
Alexander Allardyce of Dunnottar was MP for Aberdeen burghs (Aberdeen, Inverbervie, Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin) from his election in 1792 to his death in 1802.
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Aboyne (1761 - 1853), was a representative peer for Scotland 1796 - 1815 and succeeded his kinsman George Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, as 9th Marquis of Huntly in 1836. |
| Custodial History | George More of Raeden, merchant, and provost of Aberdeen in 1795-6 and 1807-8, was the previous owner. |
| Source | Part of a collection of manuscripts given to the library by J.M. Bulloch, (1867-1938), literary critic. John Malcolm Bulloch was born in Aberdeen in 1867, the son of John Bulloch who edited 'Scottish Notes and Queries'. He contributed to 'Scottish Notes and Queries' from an early age, and graduated MA from Aberdeen in 1888. Active in student affairs, he was one of the originators of the Students’ Song Book in 1891 and worked on student magazines, thus paving the way for a career in journalism. Though he edited several illustrated papers, he eventually found his niche as a literary and theatrical critic in London, donating most of the books he reviewed to Aberdeen University Library. He also maintained his interest in the history of the North-East and produced scholarly works on the family of Gordon and the Territorial Army. He died in 1938, and his funeral took place in King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen. |
| Copyright | Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation. Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the University Archivist and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material. |