458 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



L2"* S. Till. Dec. 3. '69. 



Paterson, the genealogical historian of Ayrshire, 

 and author of numerous valuable works, who then 

 was the editor. 



In addition to Mr. Patereon's information, it 

 may be stated that Anderson's niece (see No. 3.) 

 was the mother of the historian Robertson, who 

 in this way was grand-neplfew of the editor of the 

 Diplomata Scotice, — a fact not hitherto known. 



Of the descendants of Anderson, who had 

 several sons and daughters, nothing satisfactory 

 has been discovered. The late amiable Scotch 

 judge (Lord Anderson) — whose unexpected de- 

 mise was a source of deep regret to those who 

 knew him, and a serious loss to Scotland, for a 

 better or more upright lawyer never sat on the 

 bench, — once mentioned, shortly before his death, 

 that he understood he was a descendant of the 

 " Diplomata Man," as he good-humouredly called 

 him, and- he was to make some inquiries on the 

 subject, which were frustrated by his untimely 

 death. 



Besides what is to be found in Mr. Maidment's 

 Analecta ScoticB (2 vols. 8vo.) — a work now en- 

 tirely out of print — incidental notices relative to 

 Anderson occur in Charteris's Catalogue of Scotch 

 Winters, 8vo., printed by Mr. T. G. Stevenson 

 several years since, and the Ahbotsford Miscel- 

 lany. 



Materials exist, especially in the Library of the 

 Faculty of Advocates, for a very curious and in- 

 teresting literary history of Scotland about the 

 period of the Union. J. M. 



"the 'ANDERSON PAPERS.' 

 " A SERIES of papers, under the above title, have ap- 

 peared in our columns for some time back. Repeated 

 queries have been put to us — who was Anderson ? and 

 what is the object or interest of the documents pub- 

 lished? Such questions, we regret to say, do not argue 

 much for the knowledge abroad as to the history, anti- 

 quities, or eminent men of Scotland. With regard to the 

 first query — we might simply refer the reader to any of 

 our popular Scottish Biographies for an outline of his life 

 and literary and antiquarian labours: but it may be more 

 satisfactorj' to offer a brief resumd of the leading facts. 



" James Anderson, the son of a clergyman, was born 

 in 1662. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, 

 and, after serving an apprenticeship to the law, with Sir 

 Hugh Paterson of Bannockburn, became a W.S. in 1691. 

 He was successful in his profession — a profession which 

 affords numerous opportunities of studying ancient docu- 

 ments. He became fond of research in this way; but 

 might have remained comparatively obscure, but for a 

 circumstance which occurred during the well known ex- 

 citement consequent on the proposed Union between 

 England and Scotland. In 17()4, while feeling ran high, 

 an English lawyer, of the name of Attwood, published a 

 pamphlet, reviving the claims of Edward I. to the Crown 

 of Scotland, with many insulting sneers at the pretension 

 of Scottish independence. The author even went so far 

 as to quote the authority of Mr. Anderson respecting 

 certain ancient documents to which he referred. Thus 

 drawn out, and with the honour of his country warmly 

 at heart, the latter resolved upon taking up the question. 

 Accordingly, in 1705, he produced an ' Essay, showing 

 that the Crown of Scotland is Imperial and Indepen- 



dent.' This work was peculiarly well-t^nied. The nation 

 was greatly excited by the project of rh» Union, and 

 jealous of anything that savoured of subjection to Eng- . 

 land. Besides a pecuniary reward, the Scottisti Parlia- 

 ment passed a vote of thanks to Mr. Anderson, whin the 

 work of his opponent, Attwood, and others of a sim*jir 

 character, were ordered to be burned by the commou 

 hangman. Jn the production of the ' Essay ' the author 

 had recourse to numerous charters, copies of most of 

 which were appended by way of reference. The sub- 

 stantial applause, thus heaped upon Anderson, induced 

 him to abandon his business altogether, and to devote 

 himself exclusivelj' to the elucidation of written national 

 antiquities. He projected the publication of a series of 

 fac-similes of charters prior to the reign of James I. In 

 1706, Parliament granted him SOO/. in aid of the under- 

 taking. This small sum, however, was as a mere drop 

 in the bucket for so expensive and herculean a task. By 

 March next j-ear he had expended not only the sum 

 voted by Parliament, but 690/. drawn from his own re- 

 sources. Parliament, however, approved of what he had 

 done, and recommended Queen Anne to grant an addi- 

 tional contribution of 1050/. Almost the last act of 

 grace of the Scottish Estates was to recommend him to 

 her Majesty • as a person meriting her gracious favour, 

 in conferring any office or trust upon him, as her Majesty, 

 in her royal wisdom, shall thi<ik fit.' Anderson now 

 removed to London to superintend the engraving of his 

 work. The money voted by the Scottish Parliament — 

 no longer in existence — was never paid. By way of 

 recompense, apparently, the Postmaster-Generalship of 

 Scotland was conferred upon him ; but this appointment 

 he was only allowed to retain for two years — and, as will 

 be seen from his claim — amongst the papers which follow 

 — he did not even receive the salary appertaining to it. 

 He appears to have been compelled to halt — or, at all 

 events to labour slowly — in his great undertaking. In 

 1718 he is found advertising that those who wished to 

 patronise it ' could see specimens at his house, above the 

 post-ofiice in Edinburgh.' In 1726 he published his well- 

 known and valuable work entitled ' Collections relating 

 to the History of Mary Queen of Scotland,' in two 

 volumes, which was speedily- supplemented b}' other two. 

 The original documents contained in this collection are 

 invaluable. George Chalmers, author of ' Caledonia,' 

 insinuated that there was reason to question his honesty 

 as a transcriber ; but such insinuations were a weakness 

 of Chalmers, when the facts of a case did not happen to 

 chime in with his prejudices. Anderson, from all that is 

 known of his character and enthusiasm as an antiquary, 

 was incapable of such trickery. At length, in 1728, in 

 the midst of hisgreat but unfinished labours, the patriotic 

 author and collector died of apoplexy, in his sixty-sixth 

 year. The plates were sold in 1729, bj' auction, at 530/. 

 At length the work was brought out in 1737, under the 

 care of the celebrated Thomas Ruddiinan, who wrote an 

 elaborate preface for it. It was entitled ' Selectus Diplo- 

 matum et Numismatum Scotias Thesaurus.' 



" Such is our answer to the first query. The second, as 

 to the object and interest of the ' Anderson Papers.' 

 Little is known of the family history of Anderson be- 

 yond the meagre facts communicated. The papers which 

 have from time to time appeared in our columns throw 

 considerable light on his career, his struggles, and his 

 family cares; and are curious and interesting not onl\- as 

 eking out the scanty memoirs of one of the most distin- 

 guished literarj' antiquaries of which Scotland can boast, 

 but in conveymg information of contemporarj' persons 

 and events. We need only add, that these papers, as well 

 as many other original articles which have appeared and 

 are still appearing in our columns, were and are con- 

 tributed by a distinguished Edinburgh literary gentleman 



