Scottish Book Trade Archive Inventory

University of Aberdeen

MS 3232

C. Davidson and Sons Ltd. Annual report and balance sheet, 1875 - 1945; articles of association, 1883; director's minutes, 1898 - 1900 and 1948 - 1952; register of directors, 1901 - 1936; share ledgers, 1923 - 1945; register of share transfer certificates, 1918 - 1920 and 1935 - 1943; share allocation book, 1935; correspondence returns to the Register of Joint Stock Companies, 1900 - 1909; letter books, 1871 - 1904 (John Davidson) and 1940 - 1941 (Colonel Davidson); private journals, 1895 - 1932; private ledgers, 1891 - 1919; ledgers (other), 1852 - 1865 and 1874 - 1877; cash books, 1930 - 1932; wages books (Papermaking dept.), 1930 - 1932; daily report books (Paper and Board), 1923 - 1972; mortgage register, 1876 - 1925; debenture ledger, 1896 - 1933; inventory of title deeds, 1877 and 1914; insurance specifications and mill plans, 1874 - 1920; various patent specifications by the firm, n.d.; letters patent from George Davidson, Dec 1859 and Jan 1863, regarding improvements in manufacture of paper bags and the machinery for making these. Boulinikon Felt Company Ltd. Memorandum and articles of association, 1883 [n.b. minutes of AGMs, 1891 - 1905 - listed in NRA(S) survey list 1460, but do not seem to be deposited here] Davidson's Paper Sales Ltd. Directors' minutes, 1931 - 1962 and valuation certificates and inventory, 1946 - 1951 Abertay Paper Sacks Ltd. Share transfers, 1953 - 1957 Northern Waste Paper Co. Ltd. Valuation certificate and inventory, 1946 - 1952.

The Davidson family came to Bucksburn from Tarland c 1760. Charles Davidson first began manufacturing paper and snuff in partnership with Charles Smith of Stoneywood, but in 1796, set up on his own, and paper has been made without interruption at Mugiemoss since that date. In 1859 George Davidson took out a patent on the first machine for block-bottom bags, and the firm became the largest paper bag maker in Britain. By 1875 they were turning out over two million bags per week. In the second half of the nineteenth century the company moved into the fields of wrapping papers and felts. It was incorporated as a limited liability company in 1875, and opened warehouses in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Unlike other mills in Aberdeenshire, Davidsons have never made fine quality writing papers, but have concentrated upon wrapping papers and packaging products. The collection also contains records of Davidson's subsidiary companies, Bonlinkion Felt Company Ltd. (est. c 1883), Davidson's Paper Sales Ltd. (est. 1936), Abertay Paper Sacks Ltd. (est. 1950), and Northern Waste Paper Co. Ltd. (fl 1946 - 1952). Boulinikon Felt Company Ltd. was sold together with its various trade marks and patents to Thomas Mitchell, William Stansfield and Richard Ashworth, felt manufacturers of Waterfoot and Rawtenstall, Lancashire, in Sept 1904. Davidson's Paper Sales Ltd. was formed in 1936 as a wholly owned subsidiary of C. Davidsons and Sons Ltd., whilst Abertay Paper Sacks Ltd., which was formed in 1950 as a joint venture with Jute Industries Ltd. and Low Bonar Ltd., became a wholly owned subsidiary in 1953, when Davidsons purchased the other firm's shares. For further details see Dr J.N. Bartlett, Davidson's of Mugiemoss: a History of C. Davidson and Sons, Makers of Wrapping Papers, Paper Bags and Boards (London: Athlone Press, 1996).

59 items

Descriptive list available in the Reading Room, Special Libraries and Archives, University of Aberdeen (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk) Very brief collection level description available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

National Library of Scotland

MS 21001-21013

MS.21001-6 General correspondence, 1802-50, n.d. This includes both family and business correspondence. The family's letters give information on Robert Cadell's early career in the Clyde Iron Company, the court-martial of Charles Cadell in 1831, the financial support given by Robert Cadell to his family and others, and his purchase of Ratho House in 1844. On the business side, there is correspondence with Archibald Constable and the Ballantynes (some of which is related to MSS.789-802), Cadell's financial problems, the illness and death of Sir Walter Scott and the printing, illustration and publication of his works.
MS.21007-9 Letters of Captain Basil Hall, 1824-41, n. d., with a few letters to him. Most of the correspondence concerns the production of Hall's own books and articles, though there is some mention of work by others, particularly the Waverley Novels and Mrs Dalgairn's Practice of Cookery. MS.21009 includes a few letters from Hall's brother, James.
MS.21010 Letters, 1829-48, of John Dickinson, the London stationer. They Concern the supply of paper, give news of events in the Publishing world, and discuss current events, Particularly the political manoeuvres leading up to the introduction of penny postage in 1840. 36 ff.
MS.21011 Letters, 1832-48, of J.G. Lockhart. They Concern Sir Walter Scott's finances and the affairs of his family, and the publication of his works, particularly the poetry, the Life of Napoleon Buonaparte, and the Abbotsford edition of the Waverley novels (1842-7). Lockhart also discusses his own biography of Scott, and an early draft of a passage concerning Scott's relationship with Joseph Train i5 included (f.47). 208 ff.
MS.21012 Family correspondence, 1806-52, n.d., of Robert Cadell's wife, Anne F. Cadell, née Mylne. It includes letters written by herself and her brothers and sisters as children, business letters from her brother James, and letters about the marriage of her daughter, Mary Anne, in 1852. 165 ff. Quarto and under.
MS.21013 Correspondence, 1821-40, between Robert Cadell and his wife Anne, written during the former's absences on business in London and elsewhere. 201 ff. Quarto and under.

Robert Cadell (1788-1849), publisher, was born in Cockenzie, East Lothian. He entered the publishing house of Archibald Constable & Co about the age of nineteen, becoming a partner in 1811. In 1812 he became Constable’s sole partner in the firm. He married Constable’s daughter in 1817. However, she died the very next year and Cadell married for a second time in 1821. After the failure of the firm, Constable and Cadell dissolved partnership. On their separation Sir Walter Scott continued his connection with Cadell.

NLS Catalogue of Manuscripts Acquired Since 1925 Volume XIV

National Library of Scotland

MS 21053-21060

MS.21053 Legal documents on publishing matters, 1805-51. They include papers on Cadell's partnership with Archibald Constable, Constable's ownership of Sir Walter Scott's MSS., and the sale of copyright in Scott's works. 237 ff. Folio.
MS.21054 Papers concerning the Trust estate of Robert Cadell, 1846-80. They include material on the disposal of the MSS. of Scott's Waverley Novels. 65 ff.
MS.21055 Accounts of Robert Cadell and Co., 1827-48, with minutes and memoranda of agreements by George W. Mylne and Hew F. Cadell as holding partners, 1827-9.86 + many blank pp. Folio.
MS.21056 Notebook of Robert Cadell, 1826-48, containing memoranda and calculations on some of his publications. These include Scott's later works, Lockhart's Life of Scott, and works by Basil Hall, Susan Ferrier and others. 92 + many blank ff. Quarto.
MS.21057 Notebook of Robert Cadell, 1841-3, containing notes on the Abbotsford edition of the Waverley Novels, financial calculations, addresses and lists of newspapers. 15 + many blank ff. Quarto.
MS.21058 Draft in Cadell's hand, and fair copies of 'Vindication of Sir Walter Scott and of the Memoirs of his Life by J.G. Lockhart from the aspersions of the friends of the Ballantynes', 111839]. This is a reply to the Refutation of the mistatements and calumnies contained in Mr Lockhart's life of Sir Walter Scott, published by James Ballantyne's trustees in 1838, but it is not Lockhart's reply which was published by Cadell under the title The Ballantyne-humbug handled in 1839. 217 ff. Folio.
MS.21059 Copies of correspondence and papers on the financial affairs of Sir Walter Scott and James Ballantyne.
(i) Letters of John and James Ballantyne to Scott, 1807-16, and extracts from Scott's letters to John Ballantyne, 1817-19 (f.1.)
(ii) Minute of agreement between Scott and James Ballantyne, and correspondence between Scott and the Ballantynes, 1805-16. Some of this material was used by J.G. Lockhart in The Ballantyne-humbug handled, Edin., 1839. (f.61)
(iii) Letters of Scott to James Ballantyne on literary matters, 1802-29, n.d. (f.95).
(iv) Letters of Scott to the Ballantynes concerning his work, 1811-13, n.d. (f.195)
(v) Letter of James Ballantyne to Scott, 3 June 1821 (f.207).
(vi) Copies of 'Short view of the affair of James Ballantyne and Co. Printers and John Ballantyne and Co. Booksellers', 1836 (f.213).
(vii) Letters of Scott to John Gibson, W.S., 1826-31 (f.219). 263 ff. Folio.
MS.21060 Copies of correspondence and papers mostly concerning the financial affairs of Scott and the Ballantynes, 1809-39, n.d. Also included is some correspondence, 1838-9, with Andrew Shortrede on the dispute between Ballantyne and J.G. Lockhart, and miscellaneous financial papers. 183 ff.

NLS Catalogue of Manuscripts Acquired Since 1925 Volume XIV

National Library of Scotland

MS 21044-21052

MS.21044 Copy of Richards's Universal Daily Remembrancer for 1848 containing a few miscellaneous accounts by Robert Cadell, mostly relating to his business affairs. 224 printed pp. Octavo.
MS.21045-6 Household and personal account-books of Robert Cadell, 1827-49.
MS.21047 Accounts of income and expenditure for the property at Hailes, 1833-44. 132 ff. (many blank). Octavo.
MS.21048 Accounts of expenditure on Cadell's daughters, 1839-53. 20 + many blank ff. Oetavo.
MS.21049 Bank book of Anne Cadell, 1849-56. 8 ff. Octavo.
MS.21050 Accounts, probably of one of Cadell's children, 1844-8, mostly relating to visits to London. 10 ff. Octavo.
MS.21051 Miscellaneous accounts, 1812-67, n.d., relating to Cadell's publishing and personal expenses. They are not indexed in detail. 169 ff. Folio and under.
MS.21052 Account-book for meat supplied to Sir Walter Scott, 1829-30. 15 ff. Octavo.

NLS Catalogue of Manuscripts Acquired Since 1925 Volume XIV

National Library of Scotland

MS 21069

Papers of Robert Cadell, 1822-49, n.d. They include a copy of the contract of copartnery between Scott and James Ballantyne, 1822 (f.i) corrections to the Life of Napoleon, ?1827 (f.1l), and a speech made by Cadell to the shareholders of the North British Railway Company, ?1844 (f.29). 65 ff.

NLS Catalogue of Manuscripts Acquired Since 1925 Volume X

National Library of Scotland

Acc 12604

Publishing Ledgers 1771-1792; Letter books 1774-1790

The Charles Eliot Papers are part of the John Murray Archive. A fully searchable catalogue is available and a list is available in electronic form.

Glasgow City Archives

TD181

Minutes, 1890-1959; Letter books, 1877-1926; Financial records, 1899-1960; Plans of works, 1888-1922; Aerial photographs of works, c 1960; Register of directors, 1908-1917, 1926; Prospectus of company, 1926; Reports of directors, 1926-1971; Lists of charges, 1904-1925; Notice to employees concerning war emergency, 1915; Inventory of titles and plans of properties, 1923; Sale particulars of Cambuslang Estate, 1922.

The Clyde Paper Co was established by Charles Arthur Rose and Alexander Rose, and incorporated in 1890 as the Clyde Paper Co Ltd. In 1926 it was voluntarily wound up and subsequently reconstructed. Clyde Paper Mills were situated at Eastfield, Rutherglen.

1.00 Linear Metres