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Shorthand.

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources
Scope Note: Methods of handwriting that use simplified strokes, abbreviations, or symbols to facilitate rapid writing. (AAT) In the published catalogues all examples of shorthand were indexed under this heading. (NLS).

Found in 26 Collections and/or Records:

‘Act of the Associate Presbytery for Renewing the National Covenant’ (Edinburgh, 1748), bound with blank pages for subscriptions, issued to the Congregation at Muckhart.

 Item
Identifier: MS.3923
Scope and Contents The blank pages are filled with: (i) copies, made in 1763, of the sets of signatures for seven years from 1745 to 1758; (ii) original signatures, and the names of those who could not write, for 1769, 1776, and 1781. A Communion Roll of the United Presbyterian Congregation at Muckhart, 1886, is inserted at folio 29.There are on the fly-leaf a modern inscription in shorthand, with the name James Duncan (possibly a relative of the United Presbyterian Church Presbytery Clerk whose...
Dates: Majority of material found within 1745-1781, 1886.

Excerpts from scripture written by Henry Fletcher of Saltoun in a form of shorthand (most vowels omitted)., 18th century.

 File
Identifier: MS.17779
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Fletchers were merchants in Dundee, who came to prominence towards the end of the sixteenth century in the person of Robert, burgess and bailie of Dundee, who purchased various lands in Forfar which were consolidated into the estate of Innerpeffer; he died in 1622. His eldest son Sir Andrew was admitted an ordinary judge in 1623 (his brothers were James, merchant burgess of Dundee; Robert, of Bencho; and Sir George, of Restennet, advocate, through whose holding of the priory lands of...
Dates: 18th century.

‘[Gospel Sonnets] or Spiritual Songs’, in the autograph of the Reverend Ralph Erskine, preceded and followed by matter in shorthand.

 File
Identifier: MS.1015
Scope and Contents

Two versions of part vi, chapter v, section 1, ‘In heavenly quires a question rose’, are given (folios 119, 122).

Dates: Early 18th century-mid 18th century.

Lectures, lecture notes and journals of James Wright and Walter Macleod, ministers of Lauriston Street Original Secession Church, Edinburgh.

 File
Identifier: MSS.14228-14231
Scope and Contents

For James Wright's career, see David Scott, ‘Annals and statistics of the Original Secession Church’ (Edinburgh, 1886), pages 562-563.

Walter Macleod succeeded Wright in the charge of Lauriston Street Original Secession Church, Edinburgh on the latter's death in 1879.

Dates: 1850-1901.

Legal notebook in shorthand, with references to cases for illustration.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.22.7.6
Scope and Contents

Inside the notebook on the board is written ‘Mich[s] Term. 12 Geo. II. 1738. C.B.’

Dates: 1738.

Legal notebook ‘on law and practice’ in shorthand.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.22.3.7
Scope and Contents

Subjects on the margin in ordinary writing, remarks in shorthand in centre of page. No name or date.

Dates: 18th century.

Military memoirs of General Thomas Wentworth relating to the War of the Austrian Succession, partly in shorthand., 1747.

 File
Identifier: MS.25707
Scope and Contents

Interspersed with the memoirs are copies and drafts of letters of General Thomas Wentworth to Henry Fox, the Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Henry Pelham. There is also a 'List of Ministers at Vienna, 1747' (folio 104).

Dates: 1747.

Notebook of James Steuart, Keeper of the King’s Wardrobe.

 Item
Identifier: MS.5725
Scope and Contents The notebook contains: copies of James Steuart’s appointment to the office of Keeper of the King's Wardrobe, 1737 (folio 1); list of perquisites of the office (folio 3); order for drawing up inventories (folio 4 verso); copy of inventories, 1685, 1714, of the furniture in different departments of Holyroodhouse, such as the Wardrobe, Council Chamber, Exchequer, Session House, etc., (folio 8); and a history of the office, including copies of documents relating to it (folio 28 verso). Most of...
Dates: 1685-1769.

Notebook of Sir James Matthew Barrie, for rough notes on Alexander Campbell Fraser's lectures on logic and metaphysics., 1880-1881.

 Item
Identifier: MS.6657
Scope and Contents

The notebook also contains the rough work for the notes written out fairly in MS.6656. Much is in shorthand. There are also rough notes on mathematics and natural philosophy.

Dates: 1880-1881.

Notebook of Sir James Matthew Barrie originally intended for rough notes on George Chrystal's mathematical lectures, but also containing notes on natural philosophy, logic, and metaphysics., 1880-1881.

 Item
Identifier: MS.6653
Scope and Contents

At the end of the notebook (folios 1-7 inverted) are further notes on philosophers and philosophy; these are mainly in longhand, whereas the other notes, apart from the actual working out of problems, etc., are for the most part in shorthand.

Dates: 1880-1881.

Notes in shorthand, written on pages 41 and 69 of "The muse's pocket companion" (Carlisle, 1785)., Late 18th century.

 File
Identifier: MS.6527 [L.C.47]
Scope and Contents From the Series:

These are the more substantial of the letters, papers and notes found in the Lauriston Castle Collection of printed books, whether pasted or inserted loosely into volumes or as inscriptions written in books.

Dates: Late 18th century.

Notes of the lectures of Sir James Young Simpson, titled, "Midwifery by Dr. Simpson, Edinburgh, Nov. '52", taken, partly in shorthand, by Frederick Cock.

 File
Identifier: MS.3542
Scope and Contents

Pages 120-134 deal with Chloroform, its history, discovery, effects, and the rules for its use. On pages 240-241 there are drawings of apparatus for the use of chloroform.

Dates: 1852.

Papers from the John Mabon Warden Collection of shorthand books.

 Collection
Identifier: Acc.5706/1-67
Scope and Contents The collection of shorthand books was formed by John Mabon Warden of Edinburgh (1856-1933). Warden was an actuary for the Scottish Equitable Insurance Company. He started work at the company in 1874 as a junior clerk and gradually worked his way up to secretary of the Company, retiring in 1926. He had a wide range of private interests, such as mathematical problems, genealogy, Esperanto (becoming a leading scholar of the language) and stenography.He built up a comprehensive...
Dates: 1661-1930, undated.

Sermon in shorthand of James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, on I Peter I, 12., 18th century.

 Item
Identifier: MS.24594
Scope and Contents From the Series:

James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice in 1767. A large part of the papers consist of his essays, drafts and notes, many of which were used in his books.

Dates: 18th century.

Sermons of James Blair and William Eccles, Ministers at Paisley, taken down in shorthand.

 File
Identifier: MS.7173
Scope and Contents

There are some notes and summaries (folios 84, 204), proper names, and quotations in Latin (passim) in cursive script. A few leaves at the beginning are missing. The shorthand used resembles the system devised by T Metcalfe, (‘Radio-stenography, or short writing’) from which it was probably adapted by the copyist himself.

Dates: 1681-1682.