Grace McIntosh – the life of a Victorian criminal
Phil Astley, City Archivist, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
Dr Dee Hoole, Hon Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen
Sunday 27 February, 4pm (90mins)
Free – booking essential
Cowdray Hall
Grace McIntosh was born in Jack’s Brae in Aberdeen and made her first court appearance in 1838 aged just 11. From then until her death in 1880, a vivid picture of her life has been recreated using evidence from original records. Her repeated trials and incarceration left a remarkable historical record of a life of poverty and desperation lived against the backdrop of the rapidly developing 19th century Granite City.
The grit in the granite: the darker side of the Victorian Aberdeen
Thursday 24 – Sunday 27 February
Free exhibition at the Music Hall and Lemon tree
For opening times and visiting information visit the Granite Noir website
When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, Aberdeen was on the verge of major expansion. The population more than doubled over the course of her reign and many of the impressive granite buildings for which the ‘Silver City’ is so well known were also constructed during the 19th century. However, beneath the grand facades lurked a much darker side of the city’s character. Using evidence from Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives, this exhibition provides a glimpse of how the grinding poverty experienced by some of the population led to destitution, juvenile delinquency, crime and prostitution.
