| Collection | GB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections |
| Level | Fonds |
| Ref No | MS 2057 |
| Title | William Smith, advocate, Aberdeen: diary and related papers |
| Date | 1760 - 1894 |
| Extent | 1 volume (0.03 linear metres) |
| Creator Name | Smith; William (c. 1722-1793); advocate, Aberdeen |
| Administrative History | William Smith was born around 1722, the son of Adam Smith (d. 1737) of Castle Forbes, Leslie, Aberdeenshire, and Janet Chalmers (d. 1751). He was admitted as a member of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen in 1779, and was a prominent member of the Methodist community in Aberdeen for the greater part of his life. He married Margaret, the daughter of John Skene of Dyce, Aberdeenshire; his eldest son, Andrew, adopted the name Skene on inheriting the estate of Lethendy, Aberdeenshire.
Charles James Davidson (1874 -1941) was born in 1874 in Aberdeen and was educated at two schools in the city before attending Aberdeen University, from which he graduated MA in 1895 and BL in 1897. He became an advocate and a member of the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen in 1898. He was on the General Council of the University from 1907 to 1930, and was also involved in the Hospital for Sick Children. He was interested in classical studies and amassed an impressive library: on his death in 1941 his sisters donated many of the books to the University library. |
| Custodial History | The manuscript was acquired c. 1894 by Alexander Walker (1825-1903), who presented it in June 1894 to C. B. Davidson, an advocate who was also a prominent Methodist. It passed into the library of his son, C. J. Davidson, and was presented to the University Library by the latter's sisters after his death in 1941. |
| Source | The book belonged to C. J. Davidson, and was presented to the library by his sisters in 1941. |
| Description | Diary and commonplace book of William Smith, containing material relating to his duties as an advocate and concerning the Methodist Society in Aberdeen, 1760 - 1789; letter from C. B. Davidson to Alexander Walker commenting on authorship, 1894; postcard from Alexander M. Munro to George Walker commenting on authorship, 1894; letter from Alexander Walker to C. B. Davidson presenting MS 2057, 1894; biographical notes regarding William Smith and son Adam Smith, c. 1890. |
| Appraisal | This material has been appraised in line with normal procedures. |
| Accruals | None expected. |
| Access Status | Open |
| Access Conditions | The records are available subject to the signed acceptance of the Department's access conditions. |
| 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. |
| Language | English |
| Physical Description | The volume measures 20.8 x 16.5 cm. and is bound in quarter-calf. It is in poor condition. The manuscript originally contained 164 folios but the last 30 folios have been cut or torn out. |
| Related Material | MS 2050 - Clova Marches case: papers (1861-1870) |
| Publication Note | Unpublished Diaries of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries; Diary of William Smith (1722-93), an Aberdeen advocate and a prominent methodist. Northern Scotland, Volume 1, No. 1 (1972), p.121.
Diary of William Smith , (d. 1793) of Aberdeen, advocate, 1760-89.
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