The Abertay Historical Society (AHS) is a historical society based in Dundee, Scotland. It aims to promote interest in history, with a special focus on the history of Perthshire, Angus and Fife. The AHS runs a regular programme of public lectures on historical topics and also organises special events. The Society also publishes books, usually producing at least one publication per year.[1]
The Society was founded at a meeting held at University College, Dundee on 29 May 1947. The founders were the Principal of University College, Major-General Douglas Wimberley, and the college's history lecturer, Dr Frederick T Wainwright.[2] It has been suggested that the Society was promoted as part of a process of developing 'town and gown links' in Dundee by Wimberley.[3] The AHS was set up with the goal of encouraging the study of local history in the Abertay area (Perthshire, Angus and northern Fife).[2] The Society pursued this aim by organising regular talks and lectures as well as other events such as excursions.[2][4]
The Society formerly had an Archaeological Section which organised excavations in the local area and its own series of meetings. However, in 1993 the activities of this section came under the control of the Society's Council.[5] For a time in the 1970s the AHS also had an Industrial Archaeology Section, which mainly sought to record the region's industrial heritage.[5] In 2015 the archaeological activities of the Society were taken over by a newly established fieldwork division, which has undertaken projects including the recording of stones that survive from the demolished Dundee Royal Arch.[5][6]
Since 1953 the Society has published books on local history, the first of which was Dundee and the American Civil War by David Carrie. A number of notable historians and authors have written volumes published by the Society including Bruce Lenman, Andrew Murray Scott and Christopher Whatley.[7] The 51st AHS publication Ten Taysiders: Forgotten Figures from Dundee, Angus and Perthshire was published in 2011 and was edited by members of the Society's Council.[8] In 2011 the AHS began to make copies of out-of-print titles available for free download from their website.[7] The Society's publications are regularly cited in academic literature.[4]
As well as running events, the AHS has undertaken various heritage activities. The Society has lobbied for the preservation of local buildings and historic sites, and played a key role in the creation of Dundee Civic Trust and Dundee Heritage Trust.[2] The Abertay Historical Society was also a benefactor of The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum Fundraising Appeal which allowed the restoration and refurbishment of Dundee's main museum and galleries between 2006 and 2009.[9]
A number of notable individuals have been associated with the Abertay Historical Society. These include Sir Francis Mudie who was President of the Society from 1963 to 1965 and also contributed to its publications.[10] Another key figure in the society's history was S. G. Edgar Lythe, a founder member who went on to be Vice Principal of the University of Strathclyde. Lythe, who edited and wrote several of the Society's publications, was credited with moving the AHS away from simply organising events and towards actively encouraging research into local history.[11] The Dundee bibliophile and antiquarian Catherine Kinnear was a founder member of the Society and later went on to be its president.[12]