Surveying and Analysing Connections between Properties in Care and the British Empire, c.1600–1997

Overview

A research report that explores the extent and character of relationships between the properties in the care of the Scottish Ministers and the British Empire. It was commissioned by HES and carried out by a team of researchers from the University of Glasgow. The report found that 37.5% of the 336 properties have one or more identifiable “empire connections.” These connections range from PiCs which had a more decisive role in the Empire, such as Stanley Mills processing cotton produced by enslaved people, to many examples of those which were simply owned by an individual/family with involvement in the British Empire at some point between c.1600 and 1997. The research was primarily desk-based, although a limited amount of fieldwork was undertaken for the extended case studies. The evidence consisted of published works and publicly available documents, many of which are curated by HES, in particular its Statements of Significance and Canmore.

Author

Dr Stephen Mullen (Lecturer in History, University of Glasgow), Dr Andrew Mackillop (Senior Lecturer in Scottish History) and Professor Stephen Driscoll (Professor of Historical Archaeology)