Manuscript ballad notebook belonging to William MacMath
Scope and Contents
This is a manuscript ballad notebook dating from approximately 1710, containing "The Scot Litany", "You comans and pears", "The New Way of ye Lass of Pegges Mill", "The Last I Came O’er the Muir", and "Lord Randal". Previously owned by ballad collector William MacMath (1848-1922).
Ink note on the fly-leaf, by William MacMath:
"This volume - if such it can be called - has been purchased by me from Mr Adam Smail, Bookseller, 19 North Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh. He tells me he bought it from another Bookseller, who can say nothing as to its history. "Chas. MacKie 19 Augt 1808" is patched upon the binding.
The Contents are:
I. The Scot Litany.
II. You comans and pears.
III. The new way of ye lass of pegges Mill.
IV. The Last [time] I Came O'er the Muir.
V. O where ha you been Lord Randal my son.
The first four appear to have been written in or soon after the year 1710, but the fifth seems to me to be in ahand considerably later, although the ink is quite as much faded. This version of Lord Randal is not identical with any of those already known to me in print.
Edinburgh, 4th May 1880. Wm MacMath."
Dates
- Creation: c 1710
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Open. Please contact the repository in advance.
Full Extent
1 volume
Custodial History
Bookplates of William MacMath and William Saunders to front endpapers, purchase note by MacMath to early leaf dated 1880, small label with his ownership signature to rear pastedown, "Chas. Mackie, 19 Aug. 1808" scratched into leather of front board.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased in March 2026. Accession no. SC-Acc-2026-0047.
Physical Description
Oblong 8vo, ff. [7] + 13 blanks. Contemporary sheep. Rather worn, scratched and rubbed, leather crackled, rear board detached and lacking sections of leather, remaining leather somewhat charred.
Processing Information
Catalogued by Aline Brodin in July 2026, using information provided by the seller.
Source
- MacMath, William, 1848-1922 (Ballad collector) (Former owner, Person)
- Smail, Adam, fl 1880 (Edinburgh bookseller) (Bookseller, Person)
- Title
- Manuscript ballad notebook, c 1710
- Author
- Aline Brodin
- Date
- July 2026
- Description rules
- Isad(g)2
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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