Midlothian archives
Andrew Fraser
Name of creator
Andrew Fraser (21 November 1917-16 June 2007), native of Bonnyrigg and Midlothian County librarian.
Biographical history
Andrew Fraser was the son of Andrew Fraser (1880-1958), a lithographic artist, and Elizabeth Bone (1880-1983). A Bonnyrigg local, Andrew worked for Midlothian Library Service in its various forms for 47 years. In his youth, he was a keen Boy Scout and a founder member of the Bonnyrigg and District Motorcycle Club. He joined the Midlothian County Library Service in April 1935, but his early career was interrupted by the Second World War. He served as a Lance Corporal with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, and he was a prisoner of war in Germany for five years.
In late 1946, he attended the City of London College School of Librarianship. Subsequently, he became Depute Librarian of Midlothian County and the first Librarian of Midlothian District Council after the reorganisation of local government in 1975. Andrew had a great interest in the history of Midlothian and was instrumental in setting up the Midlothian Local Studies Library. Thanks to his intervention and foresight, many unique documents about the Midlothian area were saved from destruction. A tall, reserved man who often wore a kilt, Andrew was a meticulous scholar, and his work is invaluable to researchers of local history. He was a well-respected figure in the local community and a great supporter of public libraries.
In a typical act of generosity, he donated his lifelong collection of books and other items to Midlothian Local Studies so that others might benefit from them. Andrew married Eleanor Dods Davidson in July 1952 and moved to Musselburgh in 1960 where he lived until shortly before his death. He was an elder of St Andrew’s Church, Musselburgh, and wrote a history of the church in 1974. He retired in November 1982 and retained his love of Midlothian until the end.
Archival history
The collection was gathered by Andrew Fraser during his lifetime and donated to Midlothian Council Library Service Local Studies shortly before his death in June 2007.
Scope and content
Andrew Fraser was an avid collector of all types of material about Midlothian, in particular the parish of Cockpen and the village of Bonnyrigg where he grew up. The bulk of this collection is about Midlothian in the twentieth century, but there is also plenty of earlier material. The collection begins with personal items belonging to Andrew, including three diaries written during the Second World War, one from 1942 when he was a prisoner of war in Germany. Other personal material includes certificates awarded to him; army service records; letters and testimonials about his career in librarianship; and personal letters, including three from the artist Odette Kemp.
There is a large amount of material produced by local churches, schools, local government, local businesses, and clubs and societies. Andrew was a founder member of the Bonnyrigg and District Motorcycle Club, and the collection includes the original club logbook (1922-25). He was an enthusiastic Boy Scout and there is a wealth of photographs, magazines, notebooks and other records about the 14th Midlothian (Bonnyrigg) Boy Scouts, including their visit to the World Scout Jamboree at Vogelenzand, The Netherlands in 1937.
Andrew carried out his own research into the history of Midlothian, and the collection includes a 20 volume ‘History of Cockpen Parish’ which was compiled by him but never published. A significant part of the collection is a series of newspaper cuttings files and scrapbooks containing pasted-in newspaper cuttings, articles, photographs and notes about Midlothian.
Andrew was a keen amateur photographer and the collection includes photographic material, such as early stereoscopic views of Scotland, Edinburgh and Midlothian; early twentieth-century family photographs; photographs of Midlothian taken by him in the 1930s; photographs of a Second World War Prisoner of War camp; a boxed photograph album of the marriage of Andrew and Eleanor Dods Davidson in July 1952; and 360 colour slides of Lothian scenery and buildings. Andrew also collected antiquarian prints and engravings of Midlothian, including local scenery, historic buildings and personalities. There are fifteen original artworks, including three watercolours by Andrew Fraser senior and one watercolour by Odette Kemp. The collection includes several early maps of Midlothian and Edinburgh-shire. Finally, there are five plans of Midlothian estates, including the Dryden estate (1832) with engravings of Dryden House, and one architectural plan of Dalkeith Co-operative Store (1888).
System of arrangement
| Section | Description | Date |
|---|---|---|
| AFC/1 | Collection Guides | 1880 - 1999 |
| AFC/2 | Personal material | 1880 - 1998 |
| AFC/3 | Church and Religion | 1691 - 1999 |
| AFC/4 | Education | 1881 - 1992 |
| AFC/5 | Libraries | 1900 - 1965 |
| AFC/6 | Local Government | 1939 - 1985 |
| AFC/7 | Women's Rural Institute | 1951 – 1960 |
| AFC/8 | Bonnyrigg & District Motorcycling Club | 1922 – 1925 |
| AFC/9 | Membership Cards and Syllabuses | 1935 – 1984 |
| AFC/10 | Tickets | 1938 – 1982 |
| AFC/11 | Quiz sheets and puzzles | 1937 – 1955 |
| AFC/12 | Advertising and Trade | 1935 – 1992 |
| AFC/13 | Cinemas | 1939 – 1949 |
| AFC/14 | Mining | 1920 – 1946 |
| AFC/15 | Second World War | 1940 – 1944 |
| AFC/16 | Miscellaneous letters | 1801 – 1928 |
| AFC/17 | Miscellaneous Midlothian material | 1692 - 1962 |
| AFC/18 | Boy Scouts | 1930 – 1998 |
| AFC/19 | Toll Collection Account Books | 1874 – 1881 |
| AFC/20 | Miscellaneous volumes | 1751 – 1872 |
| AFC/21 | History of Cockpen Parish | 1816 - 1990s |
| AFC/22 | Research Notes | Multiple |
| AFC/23 | Transcriptions | Multiple |
| AFC/24 | Newspaper cuttings | 1940 - 2003 |
| AFC/25 | Photographs and photograph albums | c1880 – 1980 |
| AFC/26 | Prints, engravings, etc. | 1700 – 1979 |
| AFC/27 | Original artworks | 1910 – 1978 |
| AFC/28 | Maps | 1763 – 1918 |
| AFC/29 | Architecture and estate plans | 1832 – 1888 |
Access
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Conditions governing use
None.