The Letter Archive of James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk and the Pictish Symbol Stones of Aberdeenshire

McGuigan, Lynda (2020) The Letter Archive of James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk and the Pictish Symbol Stones of Aberdeenshire. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Abstract The Letter Archive of James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk and the Pictish Symbol Stones of Aberdeenshire Author: Lynda Doreen McGuigan James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk (16 November 1827–21 February 1905) was a Scottish nobleman, antiquarian, explorer and poet. He had a particular interest in Pictish symbol stones and ogham inscriptions and he corresponded with the main authorities on these subjects of his day. The thesis presents new and unpublished information taken from his correspondence, along with a diplomatic edition of selected letters. The material in this archive was discovered by the present writer. It adds considerably to the history of Pictish Studies. The study of Pictish stones began in earnest during the nineteenth century. To understand the context of Lord Southesk’s interests, chapter one traces the early development of Pictish antiquarianism with particular attention to the area of Aberdeenshire. Chapter two focuses on the landscape context of Pictish stones, and provides case studies of two sites in Aberdeenshire, namely Brandsbutt and Logie Elphinstone, which are discussed in the letters. The Southesk archive sheds new light on the biographies of these sites. It is argued that the landscape around Bennachie in Aberdeenshire was a ritual and sacred one. The selection of the shape of the stones at Brandsbutt and Logie Elphinstone, the carving of the symbols on the stones, and the placing of them at particular places with religious significance should be regarded as a politically and culturally motivated act. Chapter three provides an edition of letters from the Southesk archive which are of particular interests to Pictish scholars. These range across three decades and comprise a number of correspondents including leading academics, museum curators, aristocrats and amateur antiquarians of the time. These letters shed new light on Pictish stones in Aberdeenshire and will be valuable for further research beyond the scope of this thesis.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	18 Aug 2020 09:36
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 23:49
DOI:	10.17638/03090222
Supervisors:	Downham, Clare Power, Maria
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3090222