John’s Arran book collection
Arran Antiquarians welcomed John Jackson and his wife, Marion, to their November meeting, the final one of 2016. There were 55 members in the audience to hear them speak on Arran books from the 18th century to the present, writes Norma Davidson.
John spoke of four generations of his family holidaying on Arran, and it was on one such holiday in 1963 that the 12-year-old John read his first book about Arran. Back in Glasgow, and now aged 16, he bought his own copy of the Book of Arran. Since retirement from teaching, he visits frequently and is a great supporter of the Arran Christian Centre in Sannox.
Coincidentally, the authors of the oldest books on Arran visited in the summer of the same year in 1772. The oldest book, A Tour of Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, was written by Thomas Pennant, a 42-year-old Welsh aristocrat who styled himself a ‘tourist’ which did not have the meaning we understand today but denoted one of the great and the good who could indulge in ‘grand tours’. The book was self-explanatory and was a record of his tour. He produced pictures, including one of a basking shark being harpooned at Lochranza. Marion read us an extract on his observations and customs of the local people they met.
Commissioned
The second visitor that summer was a John Burrell, who is much quoted by Arran historians. Burrell was commissioned by the Duke of Hamilton to review all the farms on Arran and plan for the transition from the old run-rig system to the farming methods of today. He also sat in judgment and arbitrated disputes while he was here. He produced a huge handwritten tome, of which we were allowed to see a copy. The detail was amazing and it is easy to see why this was such a definitive work still much referred to today.
John then went on to the different categories of books published. Geology featured strongly as Arran has long been a geologist’s paradise. In 1798, Robert Jamieson, a university geologist for 50 years, wrote Minerology of Shetland and the Isle of Arran. This book was published in old script with a map that modern eyes thought inaccurate. He thought the agriculture could be much improved and his writings showed him to be anti-Catholic, anti-Gaelic and even anti St Molio.
Gradually more modern books by Andrew Ramsay (1841), Tyrell (1928) have appeared until we have Arran Landscapes in Stone from the present day.
Books on tourism started to appear from as early as 1703 when Martin Martin, a London doctor who emanated from Skye, visited. He found the west of Arran used the Irish language and the eastern side spoke English.
The Victorian era saw the emergence of mountaineering and walking books and guides. Naturalists found Arran a rich source of material and from Edwardian times to our very own Jim Cassels with his Arran Bird Atlas, publications have been frequent and popular. Since 1900, there has been a tendency to base novels on Arran, and Mary Davies and Kirsty Wark are recent examples.
Young readers are not forgotten as recently there have been assortments of modern books, story books and guide books for the younger visitor and also activity books. The title, The Kildonan Coo, looked a good read for a tiny tourist.
John finished by showing us several old illustrations from his books, and throughout the afternoon Marion had read extracts from some of the books. Members were encouraged to examine his book collection which covered many tables on two sides of the hall. There was truly something to fascinate everyone. Members found browsing among the collection absorbing.
Please note, there will be no meeting in December, but the antiquarians meet again in Brodick Hall on Monday January 16, at 2pm for their AGM. They have a full and varied syllabus in place for next year and new members are always welcome.