National Museums Scotland Library

Special Collections

 

Robert Riddell manuscripts

 

A Collection of Scottish Antiquities Selected by R.R. Vol 11 1791

 

Ballads, with notes:  Jock o’ Milk (p.1); Archie of Capeld (p.14);  Lord Maxwell’s Good-night (p.18);  Sir Andrew Barton (p.20);  Fair Helen of Kirkconnel (pp.29, 46);  Lads of Wamphray (p.34);  Lochmaben Harper (pp.39, 42);  Fray of Soupart (p.55);  Border Lament of the Union (p.59);  Outlaw Murray (p.61);  Laidley Worm (p.71);  McNaughton (p.78);  Young Bechin (p.80);  Young Tom Line (p.84); ‘Facts relating to Locher River & Moss’ (p.123); Robert Edgar’s ‘Introduction to the history....of Dumfries’ (p.140), with addenda by Riddell (p.254) (published from this MS. in 1915); Engravings of buildings, with remarks (p.258).

-       Basil Skinner’s notes, 1959

 

 

 

Contents of Vol. XI

 

Text verbatim with the exception of material in square brackets and notes in italics

 

Title

Page No

Notes

Jock of Milk and Jean of Bonshaw. A Fragment of an Old West-border Ballad

1

Includes a small watercolour of Dumfries by Alexander Reid

Archie of Capeld An old west Border Ballad

14

 

[Lord Maxwell’s Good-night]

18

Untitled in the MS. The title has been taken from Skinner.

Sir Andrew Barton

20

 

Fair Helen

29

Fair Helen of Kirkconnel

Lads of Wamphray an Old Ballad sometimes called the Galiard

34

 

Remarks on the above Ballads

37

Absent from Skinner’s list

Lochmaben Harper

39

 

The Blind Harper of Lochmaben

42

A second version of the ballad of Lochmaben Harper. The music for the song is found on p.45

Where Helen lies

46

A second version of the ballad of Fair Helen of Kirkconnel. Music for the song is found on p.54

The fray of Soupart

55

Notes on the preceding ballad found on p.58

The Border Lament after the Union 1710

59

 

An old Song called Outlaw Murray.

61

 

The Laidley Worm of Spindlestonheug

71

 

McNaughtan  An Old Legendary Fragment.

78

 

Young Brechin

80

Skinner deviates from Riddell by spelling it ‘Bechin’

An Old Song called Young Tom Line.

84

 

Facts relating to Locher River & Moss

123

 

Introduction to the History of the Town of Dumfries

140

By Robert Edgar. An edition of this MS by R.C. Reid was published in 1915

Addenda by R: Riddell of Glenriddell

254

Printed in Reid’s edition of the above, p.90

Raith House [and] Restalrig

258

Engravings with notes

The Castle and Chapel of Roslin from the West

259

Engraving

[Tombstones and a font at Ruthwell]

259-60

Notes and pen and wash. The tombstones are by John Thomson

Caves of Caussie

261

Also called ‘Causea’. Engraving and notes

[Notes on old buildings in the parishes of Tealing, Rynd and elsewhere]

262-64

 

Leven Side

264

Engraving and notes

Melville Castle [and] Castle Lauchlan

265

Engravings and notes

Macduff’s Castle [and] Hawthornden

266

Engravings and notes

Lawriston Castle

267

Engraving and notes

Back view of Melvill House

268

Engraving and notes

Craig Crook

269

Engraving

Lanrk Cotton Mills [and] Wryte’s House’s

270

Engravings

Auchtertyre [and] Dumfermling

271

Engravings

Rothsay Castle [and] Ravensheugh Castle, Fife

272

Engravings

Cathedral at Brechin [and unidentified castle]

273

Engravings

The man O lore wi winsome fasche

Begouth his baleful Sau

275

Engraving

A Dissertation upon the Ancient Carved Stone Monuments in Scotland, with a particular Account of one in Dumfriesshire, by Robert Riddell

276

Printed paper with MS corrections, 1791

[Cross at Boatford, Penpont]

280

Engraving and notes referring to other drawings of the cross in vols 6 and 7 of the Glenriddell MSS

 

 

 

 

 Last updated: Feb 2023