Butter, James, c1601-1691 (Sheriff Clerk of Perthshire)
Biography
James Butter was the brother of William Butter of Ardgaith (Parish of Errol, Perhshire) and most likely the son of Patrick Butter, 7th of Gormack. He became Deputy Town Clerk for Edinburgh c1651 and was admitted as an Edinburgh burgess in 1653. By 1666, he was the Sheriff Clerk for Perthshire. He died December 1691, Edinburgh.
Between 1672 and 1690 the College Library received a remarkable series of gifts from James Butter, Clerk of Perthshire. The first was of three titles: one of the earliest books on the Caribbean, "The History of Barbados, St Christophers, Mevis, St Vincents, Antego, Martinico, Monserrat, and the rest of the the Caribby-Islands" (1666), a translation by J. Davies (of Kidwelly) of an earlier work by de Poincy ; a volume recorded as "A Description of the English Plantations in America"; and Bishop John Gauden's "Eikon Basilike" (1649). The following year he presented "Mysterium Magnum; or, Exposition of the Genesis" (1654 ), the first of what was to become an impressive collection of the works of the German mystic philosopher Jakob Behmen or Boehme (1575-1624), and other recently published theological works.
His gifts to the Library spanned 18 years, sometimes on an annual, but more often on an occasional, basis. The Library and the College clearly appreciated his gifts, since the Donations Book records Butter's last three gifts as being "in accordance with his wonted liberality ..." (1686), "according to his yearly custom [he] liberally gave for the compleating of Behmen's works several's of which he had given before ..." (1689), and "according to his accustomed care of the Library ..." (1690).
Places
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Treatises by Dr. John Pordage
Treatises on Pordage's religious/mystical visions. It is not known whether this is in Pordage's or another's hand.