DOI: 10.7488/ds/7844
title: Subscriptions towards the University of Edinburgh’s Old College (1789-1794) and Old Medical School (1873-1887)

description: This dataset includes lists of subscriptions (i.e. donations) for two historical capital campaigns at the University of Edinburgh to fundraise for the construction of two new campus buildings: the sites known today as Old College, on South Bridge, and the Old Medical School, on Teviot Place. The list of Old College subscriptions has been complied using digitised issues of the Caledonian Mercury newspaper and one surviving list of subscribers in the University’s archives, together covering the period 1789-1794. The list of Old Medical School subscribers has been complied using materials in the University of Edinburgh’s archives, namely two ‘contribution lists’ dated 1873-1881 and 1883-1887. Data includes subscribers’ names, places of residence, professions and other biographic information, as well as amounts of money subscribed or paid, the dates on which their subscriptions were published or recorded, and other subscription-related information (e.g. the name of intermediaries, or the original currency in which money was subscribed). This dataset was produced for the Decolonised Transformation project (2022-24), part of the University of Edinburgh’s Race Review. Analysis of subscribers (i.e. donors) identified as having links to slavery and colonialism – including those based in British colonies – can be found in an annexed report for that project, Slavery, Colonialism and Philanthropy at the University of Edinburgh (2024), by Dr Simon Buck, the data depositor.
description: Subscribers to the University of Edinburgh's Old College (1789-1794).xlsx This data compiles Old College subscriptions using digitised issues of the Caledonian Mercury newspaper for the period 1789-1794, and a printed list of subscribers in the University’s archives dated 5 March 1790: ‘Subscribers to the New College, Edinburgh’, 5 March 1790, EUA IN1/GOV/SEN/COR (former shelf mark Da.32.1), Correspondence, 18th-20th century, Senatus Academicus, 1733-2002, University of Edinburgh Library Archives. Subscribers to the University of Edinburgh's Old Medical School (1873-1887).xlsx This data compiles Old Medical School subscriptions from two alphabetical ‘contribution lists’ held within the University’s archives. Information relating to subscriptions has been transcribed from the original handwritten documents, meaning some information may a variant or incorrectly spelt. Text in square brackets explains parts of the record or indicates when there is a word/name that has not been deciphered, i.e. '[?]'. Entries recorded both single payments and those split over different dates, hence some dates in the data are recorded as periods of time (e.g. 1878-1882) rather than single years. In these cases only the total sum of their multiple payments has been included. However, some subscribers made additional subscriptions, meaning names occasionally feature more than once in the list. Some professions have been assumed using their titles (e.g. 'Dr' or 'Col.'). In general, where only a street address was recorded, it is assumed to be an Edinburgh residence. Information in the original texts that has not been transcribed include: day and month of subscription; date when subscriptions (or 'contributions') were intimated (i.e. promised); and the amount intimidated. Those who intimidated but did not pay have not been included in this list. In the final two years (1885-1887) there are some subscriptions that went towards the construction of what would become McEwan Hall rather than the Medical School building, which was opened in 1884: University Buildings Extension Contribution List, 1873-1881, and University Buildings Extension Contribution List, 1883-1887, EUA IN1/COM/B2/4/1-2, Records of the University Buildings Extension Scheme, University of Edinburgh Library Archives.