‘Kilchurn Heritage: Black Book of Taymouth’ (1855)

As interesting as this book is to own, I won’t be transcribing it. I feel it would be necessary to also create a Companion copy, like that I created for ‘The Historical Works of James Balfour‘ (1824), in order to make it an easier read. There’s a lot of Latin and old Scots involved. The Preface is written by Cosmo Innes, author of ‘Sketches of Early Scotch History‘ (1861). It has some interesting mediaeval colour illustrations of the first eight Lairds of Glenurquhay, which are my main reasons for uploading scans here. It goes, somewhat, with the Letters from and Responses to the Marquis of Breadalbane in the ‘Gloomy Memories‘ section. Mr. Innes makes subtle reference to the Clearances at the end of the Preface, “The country, which these papers show us in so wild a state of lawless insecurity, has for the last two centuries steadily improved; and the progress has not been more marked in the face of the country than in the moral and physical condition of the people, and their social happiness.”, showing us he was maybe not so much against the depopulation as many at the time*.

 

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Within its Folio Box.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Gold Page Edges & Inside of Folio Box.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Front Cover & Spine.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Inside Front and Black Cover.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Limited Edition No. 561.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Etching of Kilchurn Castle by John Clerk (1777) with Additional Scenery by Horatio McCulloch and Engaved by William Forrest, Frontispiece.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Date of Publication.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Publisher’s Page.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Contents Page.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, List of Illustrations.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Duncan Campbell Etched by William Forrest, p.ix.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, p.3.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, p.6.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Archibald, Duncan, & Colin Campbell, p.9.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Colene Campbell, First Laird, p.10.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Duncan Campbell, Second Laird, p.14.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Colene Campbell, Third Laird, p.17.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Duncan Campbell, Fourth Laird, p.18.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir John Campbell, Fifth Laird, p.19.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Colene Campbell, Sixth Laird, p.20.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Duncan Campbell, Seventh Laird, p.23.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Sir Colene Campbell, Eighth Laird, p.72.

‘Kilchurn Heritage: The Black Book of Taymouth; With Other Papers From the Breadalbane Charter Room’, C. Innes (1855), T. Constable, Edinburgh, Duncan Laideus’ alias Makgregouris Testament, p.149.

 

*  To offset that remark let me place here a quote from Mr. Alister’s ‘Letter 2’ in response to the Marquis of Breadalbane; “The former condition of the peasantry seems to have drawn forth an unmerited sneer. In reply to numerous inquiries, the answers all concur in representing the peaceful dwellers by the lake-side as peculiarly social. They lived without guile; they assisted each other in every respect, and nothing but harmony and good feeling prevailed;…”