The Spalding Club was the name of three successive antiquarian and text publication societies founded in Aberdeen, which published scholarly editions of texts and archaeological studies relevant to the history of Aberdeenshire and its region. The clubs were named after the 17th-century historian John Spalding. [1]
The original club was founded by Joseph Robertson (1810–1866) in 1839, [2] and included among its members Cosmo Innes and John Stuart. Stuart served as secretary and was editor of many of the works published. [3] 38 quarto volumes appeared in the club's main numbered series, as well as another six volumes uniform with but not part of that series. Its last volume appeared in 1871. [4] Seventeen of these volumes were edited by John Stuart: his more important works included Sculptured Stones of Scotland (1856 and 1867), a highly valued work of antiquarian reference; and The Book of Deer (1869), an edition of an important manuscript Gospel Book held at one time at the abbey of Deer. [3]
The New Spalding Club was founded at Aberdeen in 1886. [1] Its founders included Alexander Forbes Irvine FRSE. [5] It published 45 volumes in its numbered series, and another seven uniform with but not part of that series. Its last volume appeared in 1924. [4] [6] The Secretary from its founding was Peter John Anderson (1853–1926), Librarian of the University of Aberdeen. [7] [6]
The Third Spalding Club was founded in 1928. It published 22 volumes, ceasing publication in 1960. [4] [6]
The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary and historian William Camden. In 1897 it merged with the Royal Historical Society, which continues to publish texts in what are now known as the Camden Series.
George Grub (1812–1892) was a Scottish law professor and church historian.
Cosmo Nelson Innes FRSE was a Scottish advocate, judge, historian and antiquary. He served as Advocate-Depute, Sheriff of Elginshire, and Principal Clerk of Session.
William Tytler WS FRSE (1711–1792) was a Scottish lawyer, known as a historical writer. He wrote An Inquiry into the Evidence against Mary Queen of Scots, against the views of William Robertson. He discovered the manuscript the "Kingis Quhair", a poem of James I of Scotland. In 1783 he was one of the joint founders of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Smith, Elder & Co., alternatively Smith, Elder, and Co. or Smith, Elder and Co. was a British publishing company which was most noted for the works it published in the 19th century. It was purchased by John Murray in the early 1900s, its archive now kept as part of the John Murray Archive at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Clan Spalding is a highland Scottish clan and sept of Clan Murray. The clan does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms so the clan is considered an armigerous clan. The Spalding family lived in Perthshire, Scotland, for one hundred and sixty three years before 1746, and dispersed to Germany, Sweden, Jamaica, Georgia, Liverpool, Virginia and elsewhere. The Castle of Ashintully was the clan centre in Perthshire.
John Paterson (1604–1679) was the Bishop of Ross in Scotland.
Hew Scott (1791–1872) was a minister of the Church of Scotland parish of Anstruther Wester. He is largely remembered as a religious researcher and author. His "magnum opus" is the comprehensive, multi-volume work, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: The succession of ministers in the parish churches of Scotland, from the reformation, A.D. 1560, to the present time. This is a detailed, biographical record of each of the ministers of each of the parishes of the Church of Scotland from 1560 to 1870.. It was first published between 1866 and 1871 but it is regularly updated by the Church of Scotland.
William Pickering was an English publisher and bookseller, notable for various innovations in publishing. He is sometimes credited with introducing edition binding in cloth to British publishing.
John Thomas Smith, also known as Antiquity Smith (1766–1833), was an English painter, engraver and antiquarian. He wrote a life of the sculptor Joseph Nollekens, that was noted for its "malicious candour", and was a keeper of prints for the British Museum.
John Stuart LLD (1813–1877) was a Scottish genealogist.
Joseph Robertson FSA was a Scottish historian and record scholar.
John Spalding was a Scottish historian, possibly a native of Aberdeen.
Robert Forbes (1708–1775) was a Scottish Non-juring Anglican bishop. He served as the bishop of Ross and Caithness for the Scottish Episcopal Church.
George Lipscomb (1773–1846) was an English physician and antiquarian, known particularly for his county history of Buckinghamshire.
James Craigie Robertson was a Scottish Anglican churchman, canon of Canterbury Cathedral, and author of a History of the Christian Church.
John Windele was an Irish antiquarian, particularly interested in early Irish literature and Ogham inscriptions.
James Skene of Rubislaw (1775–1864) was a Scottish lawyer and amateur artist, best known as a friend of Sir Walter Scott.
Thomas Forbes Walmisley was an organist, and a composer of church music and of glees.
John Burnett Pratt (1799–1869) was a Scottish divine and antiquarian.
Sources: Pref. by Dr. Stuart to Spalding Club edit. of Spalding's History; Par. Reg. New Aberdeen.. In