Advocates Library Catalogues

The Library of the Faculty of Advocates, whose non-legal collections were presented to the National Library of Scotland on its formation in 1925, had been collecting books since at least the 1680s. To manage these collections the Advocates Library produced several catalogues from the 17^th to the 19^th century: each one representing the Library’s evolution from its legal origins and the ever expanding number of books that it held.

The Library’s first printed catalogue was produced at Edinburgh in 1692 by George Mosman and includes the Library’s inaugural oration delivered by the Lord Advocate, Sir George Mackenzie. This catalogue follows the standard practice of listing books by their subject and format with authors alphabetically arranged within each section. The Library was small enough at this time to be arranged under just four themes: Law, History, Miscellaneous and Theology.

It took until well into the 18^th century to complete the next catalogue though the completion of its printing is uncertain. There is evidence suggesting that copies were finished in 1742, the date later put on the title-page when, along with the introduction and the last page, its printing was ordered on 13 January 1772. It was printed in Edinburgh by Thomas, Walter, and Thomas Ruddiman. As it had been completed 30 years before, a volume 2, printed by Balfour and Smellie, and an appendix, printed by William Smellie, appeared in 1776 and 1787 respectively. A third part was printed by Alexander Smellie in 1807.

In 1831 the Faculty ordered the printing by Thomas Clark, an Edinburgh bookseller of a catalogue recording only its law books, which was followed in 1839 by a supplement.

The final catalogue of printed books produced by the Faculty before 1925 was based on a slip catalogue prepared by Samuel Halkett. He began printing in 1860 and completed it to volume 2, page 104. Volumes 2 and 3 and the greater part of volume 4 were edited by Thomas Hill Jamieson, assisted by Jón Andréson Hjaltalín with the remainder completed by Hjaltalín alone. The part edited by Halkett contains biographical notices and fuller entries. All six volumes plus the supplement were printed by William Blackwood and were issued between 1867 and 1878.