Publication proofs
Jun. 17th, 2025 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vivdunstanLovely is waking to proofs of the next "Miscellany" volume from the Scottish History Society, including my own piece - full annotated transcript plus accompanying essay - about a historical poem about events at the Melrose court in 1682. Very much looking forward to seeing the finished volume in print.
I studied the Melrose local court records for the dissertation portion of my taught MPhil history degree at Dundee, 2001-3. I only discovered this poem lurking hidden in the depths of the Edinburgh national archives afterwards. And was rather stunned, because it correlates closely with the history as recorded conventionally, while providing a totally fresh take on it. All including a vitriolic character assassination of the newly appointed judge! It took me ages to transcribe the 17th century handwriting - definitely at my limits. But got there, and then ended up sending in a proposal for an edited transcript + essay for the Scottish History Society. Which was accepted. That was 6+ years ago. It's taken a long time to get to print. But nearly there now!
I studied the Melrose local court records for the dissertation portion of my taught MPhil history degree at Dundee, 2001-3. I only discovered this poem lurking hidden in the depths of the Edinburgh national archives afterwards. And was rather stunned, because it correlates closely with the history as recorded conventionally, while providing a totally fresh take on it. All including a vitriolic character assassination of the newly appointed judge! It took me ages to transcribe the 17th century handwriting - definitely at my limits. But got there, and then ended up sending in a proposal for an edited transcript + essay for the Scottish History Society. Which was accepted. That was 6+ years ago. It's taken a long time to get to print. But nearly there now!