Transcripts and notes concerning the "Brown manuscript" of Scottish popular ballads
Overview
Transcripts of the original manuscript of Scottish popular ballads that was furnished to William Tytler by Anna Brown in 1783.
Dates
- Creation: 1793-1920
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
.5 linear feet (5 volumes)Biographical / Historical
The original ballad manuscript was produced in 1783 for William Tytler (1711-1792), who was a Scottish antiquarian, lawyer, and historian. The information for the original transcription of ballad text was furnished by the singing and dictation of Anna Gordon Brown (died 1810), of Falkland and recorded by her nephew, Robert Eden Scott (1769-1811). Anna Brown was the wife of the Rev. Andrew Brown (died 1805) and the daughter of Professor of Philosophy, Thomas Gordon (1713-1797) of Kings College Aberdeen. Robert Eden Scott was a philosopher and his mother was Elizabeth Scott, daughter of Thomas Gordon and sister of Anna Gordon. The current location of the original manuscript is not known, but for many years, it was in the hands of the Fraser-Tytler family. [See item (5) below for additional information concerning the genealogy of the families involved with these manuscripts].
Some of these transcripts were produced for and collected by American philologist and Harvard professor Francis James Child for his research for: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898). Many of these materials were organized and annotated after Child's death by his protégé, George Lyman Kittredge.
Arrangement
Arranged in chronological order.
Physical Location
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Immediate Source of Acquisition
This material was acquired from various donors, at various times. See individual items for full acquisition information.
Processing Information
Processed by: Bonnie B. Salt
This material formed part of the Harvard College Library Treasure Room "ballad" collection and the items were selected based on likeness of topic and reclassified in April 2005.
Processing Information
In 2020-2021, as part of a conscious and inclusive re-description effort, titles (or entries ) were updated to include a woman’s first name when identified.
- Title
- Transcripts and notes concerning the "Brown manuscript" of Scottish popular ballads, 1793-1920: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou01771
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
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