Content Description A collection of nine notebooks containing songs in English and Gaelic, newspaper cuttings especially on Highland and Gaelic subjects, poetry and notes on a variety of subjects. The collection was preserved by John Tolmie, oldest son of the Rev. John William Tolmie (1831-1886, minister of Bracadale and Contin). John Tolmie, who compiled four volumes in the collection, was a nephew of Frances Tolmie, collector of Gaelic songs. Two further volumes belonged to Frances Tolmie herself, and...

Scope and Contents

A copy probably of Charles Mackay's 'The songs of Scotland: a collection of one hundred and ninety songs', New York and London, [1877]. Wanting all before p. ix of the preface and all after the first page of the glossary at the back. Re-bound in a limp dark blue cloth binding, and bearing John Tolmie's ownership inscription on the front flyleaf.

Scope and Contents

A notebook compiled by John Tolmie and marked "I Songs" on the cover; 33 folios. Containing mostly texts of songs in English or Scots, with humourous, often Scottish- or Irish-related themes. Most of these are copied by hand, but some are cut out from newspapers and pasted in. Undated, with the exception of the song on ff. 28v-29v, not in John Tolmie's hand, which is dated 1904. The song "The wedding of Shon Maclean" (ff.11-12) includes the melody in tonic sol-fa notation.

Scope and Contents A notebook compiled by John Tolmie, headed "II Songs" on the cover; 49 ff. Contains anecdotes, newspaper cuttings, sayings in Gaelic (f. 37) and songs in Scots, English and Gaelic. Undated except for a news cutting on f. 3, which is dated April 1905. Folios 17v-19v contain two songs by his brother Alexander McDonald Cornfute Tolmie: "Burial of Reuben a dog at Contin Manse, by A.M.C. Tolmie, 1884", and "A non-historical celebrity (Bella). Contin. - by A.M.C.T." Folios...

Scope and Contents

A notebook compiled by John Tolmie, marked "IV Notes + Comments" on the front cover, containing press-cuttings of humorous anecdotes concerning mostly Highland Scotland. They are pasted in chronological order, with each one dated. Possibly, like the next volume in the sequence, a record of notes and anecdotes submitted by Tolmie to the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch. 59 numbered pages, followed by 35 blank pages.

Scope and Contents

A scrapbook compiled by John Tolmie, marked "V Notes + Comments" on the cover. An inscription inside the front cover describes it as "Edinburgh Evening Dispatch. Book of notes and comments contributed by John Tolmie". The entries bear dates from 6 November 1915 to 25 August 1919. 56 numbered pages, followed by 46 blank pages blank.

Scope and Contents A small notebook entitled at the front in red ink: "Gaelic songs, collected by A.M.C. Tolmie". The title was subsequently expanded to read "English and Gaelic songs ... Campbeltown Argyllshire". Alexander Tolmie became assistant minister and then successor at the first charge at Campbeltown in 1889. A copy of an inscription on a grave in Glassary churchyard, p. 131, is dated 1891.Paginated 1-123 by the scribe, the remaining 10 pages paginated in the Library. An index including...

Scope and Contents Four notebooks compiled by John Tolmie (1859-1923), the oldest son of the Rev. John Tolmie, and a nephew of Frances Tolmie. John Tolmie worked at the Register House, Edinburgh. The notebooks are numbered I, II, IV and V. They contain mainly songs in Gaelic and English (I and II), and press cuttings mainly of humourous Highland anecdotes (IV and V). Added to this is a printed volume of Scottish songs. E. Bassin's book 'The Old Songs of Skye' mentions that Tolmie used to perform comic songs in...