City sets out recovery plan to put priceless heritage in better order

Published on Monday 29 September 2008 09:59

PRICELESS historical documents detailing the history of Edinburgh are to be properly catalogued and made more accessible to the public for the first time.

Thousands of artifacts dating back as far as the 12th century are currently stored underneath the City Chambers and at offices in Murrayburn.

A damning report in 2006 accused the council of storing the valuable documents in cardboard boxes and not keeping proper records of them.

The archives are invaluable to anyone interested in local history, containing what are often the only available source of information on notable buildings, people, family histories and events.

Today, the council launched its "recovery plan" for the archives, which involves spending 710,000 as a first step towards the ultimate goal of building a new "heritage hub" for the Capital.

The short-term plan involves better preservation of the records, a "more attractive and welcoming" area at the Chambers with improved signs and more space, and a "realistic cataloguing programme".

City leader Jenny Dawe said she wanted better public access in time for next year's Homecoming Scotland celebrations.

"We have a wealth of material in the city archives, but nobody knows about it," she said. "There's no proper facility for people to come and see what there is, and there haven't been the members of staff to do the cataloguing. For many years, there was complete disinterest.

"But we now have a new team of people in place. I'm determined, if it's the one thing I do, to leave these archives in a better state than when I joined the council. It's our heritage and we can't allow the records to physically deteriorate any further."

The team will be led by council records manager Kevin Wilbraham.

The Heritage Hub in the Borders cost 8 million and a new archive centre in the Highlands will cost more than 10m. Lottery funding would be required for a similar facility in Edinburgh, which could be shared with other heritage services.

Robin Tait, vice president of the Old Edinburgh Club – the city's local history society – said: "It's dreadful at the moment. Documents are deteriorating and they haven't been catalogued and are in cardboard boxes. Most of it is simply not accessible to anyone.

"The facility in the Borders is excellent. If they can do it, Edinburgh must be able to do it as the capital of Scotland.

"People researching their family history would find a tremendous lot of information, like school roles. But not only can they not use the archives, most people don't even know they exist.

"The council ought to be ambitious, and we will be pressing to get this job done properly."

Work on the recovery plan started under the previous Labour administration. Labour group leader Andrew Burns said: "I do believe that the council of the capital city of Scotland should have a city archive that is accessible and well-used by the widest cross-section of the population possible.

"This draft business recovery plan already has significant capital funding allocated to it and forms an appropriate launch-pad for wider consultation on how to fully develop the service."

TREASURE CHEST

&#149 Edinburgh Town Council minutes (1550s to 1975): Everything from the first recorded rules of golf to the establishment of the Festival.

&#149 Canongate Baillie Court processes (1603-1847): The largest of many series of judicial records, this includes the death warrant for William Burke.

&#149 The Society of High Constables of Edinburgh (1701-1958): A significant collection on the work of an organisation which now has a ceremonial and charitable status.

&#149 Edinburgh City Police records of conviction (1865-1909): There are 34 volumes in this series which relate to criminal records.

&#149 Greyfriars Burial Ground (1771-1864): Notes include details on the final resting place of notables.