George Neilson

George Neilson, LL.D., FSAScot, (7 December 185815 November 1923) was a Scottish historian, antiquary, and lawyer. Neilson is known for his scholarship relating to Scottish law, archaeology, and literature, with particular emphasis on medieval Scotland.

Early and personal life

He was the only child of Edward Neilson (1830–1861), a captain in the merchant navy, and his wife, Janet Paterson (1831–1903). Edward Neilson died in Buenos Aires in 1861. George was brought up in a house in Ruthwell which belonged to his mother's family, Horseclose Farm. He was later married on 24 June 1892 to Jane Ann Richardson (1859–1945), the daughter of Thomas Richardson, a cattle dealer from Hexham, and his wife, Ann Short. Together they had one son, who died aged three on 14 March 1894, and one daughter.

Education and career

Neilson was educated at Cummertrees parish school and, from January 1872 to Christmas 1873 attended King William's College on the Isle of Man. Neilson later worked as an apprentice at a writer's office in Dumfries, and was also enrolled in the Scottish law class of Professor Robert Berry at the University of Glasgow in 1879–80. Neilson finished joint first in class and subsequently did well in the conveyancing class in 1880–81. In 1881 he qualified as a solicitor and in 1884 became a partner in Messrs Stodart and Neilson, writers, at 58 West Regent Street, Glasgow. Throughout his life and career Neilson was active in various clubs and societies associated with his professional and academic interests. In 1889 he became the president of the Glasgow Juridical Society, and in 1890 he was elected a member of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, of which he later served as president from 1907 to 1910. On 6 November 1891 he was appointed procurator fiscal of police in Glasgow, later becoming fiscal of the Glasgow dean of guild court on 2 November 1899. In 1901 he made an application for the chair of Scottish history at the University of Edinburgh, but was unsuccessful. In 1904 Neilson was listed in the membership of the Thirteen Club, also known as the Glasgow Thirteen. This was an exclusive club which met in various restaurants throughout Glasgow to discuss literature and art. Neilson was the president of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow from 1913 to 1915, and of the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club from 1914 to 1918. This collection was bought by the Library in 1927 with the aid of the Reid Fund. Many of the manuscripts contain notes and marginalia in the hand of Neilson. The collection of manuscript volumes ranges in date from the 13th to the 20th century and consists of 168 individual items. The charters date from 1325 to 1840, and cover the areas of Scotland, England, Wales, and Italy. Outwith these historical manuscripts the National Library of Scotland also holds select correspondence and academic papers of George Neilson. Further correspondence and material relating to George Neilson can be found in Cambridge University Library, University of Manchester Library, and Aberdeen University Special Collections.

Selected publications

Articles Annandale Under the Bruces: A Lecture (1887) 'Tenure by knight-service in Scotland', Juridical Review, xi (1899), pages 71–86, 173–186. The Franciscan: Some Footnotes, George Buchanan: Glasgow Quartercentenary Studies 1906 (1907), pages 297–332.

'Bruce versus Balliol, 1291-92', Scottish Historical Review, xvi (1918), pages 1–14. The March Laws, published posthumously and edited by Thomas I. Rae, Stair Society, Miscellany One, 26 (1971), pages 11–77.

Books Trial by Combat (1890) Per Lineam Valli (1891) Peel, its meaning and derivation (1894) Repentance Tower and its Tradition (1895) Old Annan: from the 12th century until 1547 (1896) Caudatus Anglicus: A Mediaeval Slander (1896) Annals of the Solway (1899) John Barbour, Poet and Translator (1900) Sir Hew of Eglintoun and Huchown off the Awle Ryale (1901) Huchown of the Awle Ryale, the Alliterative Poet (1902) Old Glasgow Essays (1905) (contributor) The original chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun: printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss MSS., with the variants of the other texts (1903-1914) (joint editor) Acta Dominorum Concilii: Acts of the Lords of Council 1496–1501. Volume II (joint editor) (1918) The Norsemen in Alban (1923) (joint editor) Skene's Memorabilia Scotica, 1475-1612, and revisals of Regiam Majestatem (1923)