| Description Of Item | The copies appear to have been made from collections held in the British Museum. It is not known who made the copies but the paper is watermarked 1828 and 1830.
Copy of a letter from Dr Archibald Pitcairn to the Laird of Forther[?] complaining of the actions of the Earl of Rothes who 'oppresses my tenants' and asking for any deeds to the lands of Pitcairn that he can use in his defence, 22nd September 1713 - original held by Mrs Dr David Pitcairn, Culver Lodge, Hertfordshire.
Extract from Bishops Low's letter to Mrs Dr David Pitcairn, 1827 about her 'illustrious kinsman' with extracts from the Kellie Papers which he had recently obtained, the extracts being a letter from Dr John Drummond senior to Dr Thomas Bowen containing a character of the famous Dr Archibald Pitcairn with an account of his death; and a copy of 'the great Dr Mead's letter to Mr Robert Walpole (afterwards Earl of Orford) in favour of Mr Andrew Pitcairn son of the doctor who was engaged in the troubles that happened in the year 1715 was prisoner and then was in the Tower'.
Nine letters from Dr Archibald Pitcairne to Dr Robert Gray London (1-7), Dr Walkingshaw (8) and Sir Hans Sloan, secretary to the Royal Society (9) in the British Museum Sloan mansucripts 3216. First - he writes of the need to perform dissections on 'whose who dye in Paul's Work' unclaimed to prove his theory on 'de fluxus menstrus' and the opposition to the process from the Chief Surgeon; of his treatise De Scorbuta; and of Mr Neuton's Divine Thoughts', 24th October 1694. Second - he writes of Dr Walkingshaw's death and the circulation of a letter by him, 12th January 1710. Third - letter of introduction for his relative James Kineir, 3rd March 1710. Fourth - he sends a copy of a discourse titled De Curatione Febrium, hopes to write on 'Relligio Mathematici or Euclidis' and introduces the son of Sir Francis Scot of Thirleston, 23rd September 1694. Fifth - he writes of cures for smallpox and that Hay and Burnet killed Dr Sibbald's daughter with their alexipharmic; describes two dissections of a young woman and a negro; and describes the health of Sir Thomas Murray's sister and a possible accusation of witchcraft 20th December 1694. Sixth - he describes the dissection of a woman who had died in childbirth, 27th November 1700. Seventh - he writes of the weight and condition of Lord Kinnaird's liver compared to that of Sir James Oswald, 27th February 1701. Eighth - he criticises Keil for his plagiarism of Dr Gregorie, his attack on Sir Isaac Newton's theory on the deluge and hs copying of Bellini word for word 'speak of his to no bodie', 27th December 1709. Ninth - he sends Sloan a stone from the river of North Esk in Angus which has a violet smell; and asks him to send a list of books he needs as he may be able to obtain them and names books he got at good prices, 29th September 1701.
Copy of a precept of sasine in favour of John Pitcarne and his heirs male appointing them heritable baillies and tenants and vassals to Robert Pitcairn, 14th June 1581.
In the Sloane collection, British Museum 4316 there is a memoir on Dr Pitcairne that was sent to Dr Birch for his biographical dictionary accompanied by a letter, copied here, from J Clerk, 7th September 1738.
Printed 'Lines Addressed by Dr A Pitcairn to Gilbert Burnet Bishop of Sarum' in Latin from a broadside preserved in Lord Fountainhall's collection of broadsides in the Advocates' Library. |