One letter with transcript from John Hill Burton to My Dear Morton
Scope and Contents
The manuscript letter dated 20 December 1878, signed 'J H Burton' to 'My Dear Morton', probably the Edinburgh solicitor Charles Morton. Burton regretfully declines an invitation as 'prudence forbids. I have not dined out in Edinburgh for 10 years fidning it dangerous [...] I felt always the worse when I dined with Russel or any other good fellow, so took a self denying ordnance'. He is sending 'a little book', preferring it to his others because 'it is personal to the author. Farther it may have to you the value of being commemorative of well remembered ground [...] Now don't take the trouble of acknowledging receipt [...] I speak as one wjo has been a considerable sufferer from receiving authors presentation copies'.
There is also a ms transcript of the letter.
Dates
- Creation: 1878
Creator
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Open to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance of visit.
Biographical / Historical
John Hill Burton was born in Aberdeen on 22 August 1809. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and then he went to Marischal College. After graduation he moved to Edinburgh and studied for the Bar, being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1831. However, he had little practice, and in 1854 was appointed Secretary to the Prison Board of Scotland, and in 1877 a Commissioner of Prisons.
He contributed to Blackwood's Magazine and to other periodicals, and in 1846 published a biography of David Hume. He wrote well-researched historical works and he was one of the first historians to introduce the principles of historical research into the study and writing of the history of Scotland.
The advocate, historian and economist, John Hill Burton, died on 10 August 1881.
Full Extent
1 letter with transcription
Physical Location
CLX-A-623
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased June 2014. Accession no: E2014.53.
Processing Information
Catalogued by Graeme D. Eddie 23 April 2015
- Title
- Letter from John Hill Burton to 'My Dear Morton', December 1878
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk