Reading habits in Scotland circa 1750-1820
This thesis examines reading habits in Scotland between circa 1750 and 1820, a subject surprisingly little studied by historians before, given the backdrop of the Enlightenment, and traditional ideas about Scottish education and literacy. From a methodological viewpoint, reading as an activity at this time is often little recorded, frequently invisible in surviving historical records. Nevertheless, enough evidence exists for it to be studied analytically, using individual case studies alongside larger data sets, and varied records such as contemporary accounts and later memoirs, library catalogues and borrowing registers, and evidence for book ownership, such as after-death inventories and records of booksellers. To aid the analysis, a three-part subject classification system is introduced in this thesis to differentiate between different categories of reading - religious, entertainment and improvement - and to facilitate comparisons between individual examples of reading. Successive chapters explore how opportunities for reading evolved, how Scots fitted reading into their lives, what they chose to read, their reasons for reading and styles of reading, and book ownership and its relationship to reading. Each
Dunstan, Vivienne
Reading habits ; Scottish history ; Book history
Reading habits in Scotland circa 1750-1820. This thesis examines reading habits in Scotland between circa 1750 and 1820, a subject surprisingly little studied by historians before, given the backdrop of the Enlightenment, and traditional ideas about Scottish education and literacy. From a methodological viewpoint, reading as an activity at this time is often little recorded, frequently invisible in surviving historical records. Nevertheless, enough evidence exists for it to be studied analytically, using individual case studies alongside larger data sets, and varied records such as contemporary accounts and later memoirs, library catalogues and borrowing registers, and evidence for book ownership, such as after-death inventories and records of booksellers. To aid the analysis, a three-part subject classification system is introduced in this thesis to differentiate between different categories of reading - religious, entertainment and improvement - and to facilitate comparisons between individual examples of reading. Successive chapters explore how opportunities for reading evolved, how Scots fitted reading into their lives, what they chose to read, their reasons for reading and styles of reading, and book ownership and its relationship to reading. Each
reading habit scotland circa examines read habit scotland circa subject surprisingly little_studied historian give backdrop enlightenment traditional idea scottish education literacy methodological viewpoint read activity time often little record frequently invisible survive historical_record nevertheless enough evidence exists study analytically use individual case_study alongside large data_set vary record contemporary account later memoir library catalogue borrow register evidence book ownership after death inventory record bookseller aid analysis three_part subject classification_system introduced differentiate different_category read religious entertainment improvement facilitate comparison individual example read successive explore opportunity read evolve scots fit read life choose read reason read style read book ownership relationship reading