Manuscript Revelations

Way back in my youth (I think I was about 12 years old), my frequent Saturday excursion was to take the train into Glasgow and spend hours at John Smith’s bookshop. Sadly, this fab bookshop has long since gone, but I have the memories… plus a few items purchased in their antiquarian department.

So, I remember buying an old vellum manuscript for £18. Now £18 was a lot of money back then; especially for a kid, but books have always been my passion, and so I bought the tired folded up scrap of vellum and took it home. There was no translation and no note with it to say what it was, and sadly in the pre-internet days I merely popped it into a plastic cover and stuck it on a shelf and forgot about it.

Until last month. Having a massive January clear out, I came across it again and decided now was the time to find out what is was, was it valuable etc. My own attempts to translate the Latin writing were not good, so I took a couple of good quality photos and sent these to the National Library of Scotland’s Archives & Manuscripts dept and just the other day I finally got a reply and LOADS of information.

Apparently, it’s a 16th-century Latin document of transfer, involving people and place around Hawick (in Scotland). The date is given on the back as 28 November 1521, and the text mentions a document issued at Hawick on 28 November in the 1520s. The final paragraph contains the endorsement of William Cuningham, notary public, with his notary’s mark. What is written in his mark resembles a date of 1778, but it is possibly IHS, the letters that stand for Christ.

The inscription on the back, in a slightly later hand, reads:  “Adame Scott of Clarilaw his instrument of seasing of wagbandis (?seizing of vagabonds?), and the halff of the landis of Eist Hassinden Maynes Upoun the resignatioun of Arc. Gledstanes M Waltir Scott of Branxholmes fadouris as superiour of the foirs[ai]d landis. Daitt: 28. Nov 1521.” (Adam Scott of Clarilaw’s instrument of seizing of vagabonds (?) and half of the lands of East Hassendean Mains, upon the resignation of Archibald Gledstanes M[aster?] Walter Scott of Branxholmes father as superior of the aforesaid lands.)

Now, obviously, I have to follow this information up with a visit to the Hawick Heritage Hub is on the cards.