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John Stuart Blackie

Greek scholarship and Scottish nationalism.

John Stuart Blackie (1809-1895) was Professor of Greek at the University of Edinburgh from 1852 to 1882. He translated various works from German and Greek into English, and was also interested in the reform of Scottish universities. Blackie was a keen promoter of Scottish identity and raised funds for the establishment of a Chair in Celtic. He was a charismatic and popular national figure and his death led to a day of national mourning.

This bequest consists of about 360 books, mainly in Greek. Most are 19th century but there are some earlier items, including a French textbook printed in 1709. It is a strong resource for the history of education, particularly in the classical languages.

The books are all listed in the pre-1985 typescript catalogue and there are rudimentary online records for many of them. The shelfmark is “Bl.Coll.”

The manuscript collection includes 23 letters and a number of poems, at various locations.