Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crocket has today (Wednesday 9th February) welcomed the acquisition of an historic 17th century manuscript for the city’s archives.
Aberdeen City Council’s archivists have acquired the manuscript which relates to former politician and Provost of Aberdeen Alexander Jaffray written almost 350 years ago.
Jaffray, born in 1614 to a prominent Aberdeen family, was twice Provost of the city, firstly between 1649 and 1650 and again between 1651 and 1652 as well as representing the city in the Scottish Parliament between 1644 and 1650.
Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor Barney Crockett said: “Aberdeen is steeped in history, and this is a fabulous addition to Aberdeen’s UNESCO-recognised archive, the oldest and most complete collection of civic records in Scotland
“The manuscript is thought to have been transcribed in 1673 shortly after the death of Alexander Jaffray and it provides a fantastic insight into his faith following his conversion to Quakerism, at a time when being a Quaker inevitably meant persecution.
The volume was purchased for £15,000 and this was assisted by the National Fund for Acquisitions (NFA) and Friends of the National Libraries (FNL) who each contributed £5,000 with the remainder coming from the Niven Bequest which was left to the Council’s Archive several years ago.
Hazel Williamson, National Fund for Acquisitions Manager, said: "We are delighted to support the purchase of this unique manuscript testament of Alexander Jaffray. The acquisition is particularly significant in the context of Jaffray’s important role in the civic and religious life of Aberdeen at a time of political upheaval and religious persecution”.
Geordie Greig, Chairman of FNL, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Aberdeen City Archives’ acquisition of this rare and important manuscript that sheds light on religious belief in the 17th century.”
The Lord Provost added: “We are grateful for the support provided by the NFA and FNL in acquiring this important document for the city of Aberdeen.