William Walker, bibliophile, ballad collector and writer: papers Personal papers of William Walker, relating principally to his work on Scottish ballads, together with a small volume of material relating to his other research interests. The collection comprises notebooks, loose notes and correspondence used by Walker in his works, The Bards of Bon Accord, 1375 - 1860 (1887); Peter Buchan and Other Papers (1915); Some Notes on Chap-Books (1931); in articles for local newspapers and periodicals; in compiling bibliographical and other lists for F.J. Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882 - 1898); and in indexing the manuscript folk song and folk music collections of Gavin Greig and James Bruce Duncan. Of the 21 notebooks in the collection, most relate to Walker's research on ballad collections and collectors. They contain both his own notes and extracts from contemporary printed sources, such as his indexes to items published in Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine (1768 - 1785), the Quarto Collection in Complete Collection, Old and New Songs and Ballads (London, 1735) and A. Ramsay's Tea-Table Miscellany (1724 - 1740). One volume also alludes to Walker's antiquarian interests, with notes and transcript of the Rickart manuscript, which he deposited in the University in c 1931 (MS 2305). Correspondence in the collection was arranged in 7 distinct series prior to deposit, and this order has been maintained, viz.: letters from Rev. J. Ironside Still (1854 - 1927) of Banchory Devenick, to William Walker, regarding his uncle, Peter Still, the Buchan Poet, 1885 - 1887; letters from Gavin Greig (1856 - 1914) to a Mr Brown, on folk song and related topics, 1907 - 1914; letters from James Bruce Duncan (1848 - 1917) to Gavin Greig (1856 - 1914) on folk song and music, 1905 - 1914; correspondence between James Bruce Duncan (1848 - 1917), William Walker and Duncan's daughter, Katherine Duncan, during her father's last illness, 1914 - 1921; private letters from Miss Mary Ann Crichton and others regarding the folk song collections of Gavin Greig (1856 - 1914) and James Bruce Duncan (1848 - 1917), 1914 - 1920; miscellaneous letters and papers concerning contributors to Gavin Greig's collection of ballads, 1923 - 1925; and correspondence between Gavin Greig (1856 - 1914), James Bruce Duncan (1848 - 1917), William Walker, Alexander Keith, Miss Mary Ann Crichton and others regarding the proposed publication of Greig-Duncan material by the New Spalding Club (complementary to correspondence in MS 998) [N.B. owing to the deaths of both men, and delays caused by the First World War, this project had to be abandoned and was replaced by Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs collected in Aberdeenshire , edited by Alexander Keith (with assistance from Walker and Miss Crichton) (Aberdeen: Buchan Club, 1925). Alexander Keith (1895-1978), assistant editor and chief leader-writer of the Press and Journal until 1944, was author of Burns and Folk Songs (1922) and other works.] Walker's notes and correspondence refer to many local ballad collections and collectors, including David Herd (1732 - 1810), William Christie (c 1817 - 1885), Dean of Moray, compiler of Traditional Ballad Airs (1876 and 1881), and his father, William Christie (c 1778 - 1849). However, his descriptions are often enigmatic and references to other published works have been difficult to verify. Also included amongst his papers is a working copy of 'Melville's Commonplace Book 1621-1640', with annotations and enclosures, 1899-1930. 19th century - 20th century