The Blacader Symposium

Marking Glasgow’s 850, one of Scotland’s most significant treasures, the Blacader Prayerbook, will be on show in Glasgow Cathedral’s nave for one day only, on 29 September. A public holiday, the day was chosen to enable as many Glaswegians and visitors as possible to see this extraordinary artifact during the five hours it will be on display. Entry to Glasgow Cathedral, which is under the care of Historic Environment Scotland, is free of charge. Generous support from the National Library of Scotland and the Mediaeval Glasgow Trust’s sponsors (Assumption Studios, Colin Beattie, Glasgow 850, K. G. McAlpine, Marine Products Scotland, the North Parish Washing Green Society, and Tunnock’s) has enabled the showing to be free of charge.

In the afternoon of the 29th, the Mediaeval Glasgow Trust is organising a Symposium in celebration of the Prayerbook’s visit and to mark Glasgow’s 850. This event will take place in the aisle that Archbishop Blacader commissioned for the Cathedral and will run from 13:30 to around 16:40, ending with a final opportunity to view the Prayerbook in the Cathedral nave.

Presentations will last 20 minutes each, and there will be an opportunity for questions before the break at 15:00 and at the end.

Welcomed by Rev. Ian Black and introduced by Mary McHugh, Irene O’Brien will open the Symposium with a discussion on ‘The Importance of the Written Archive Towards Understanding Glasgow’s Mediaeval Origins’. Dominic D’Angelo will then speak on Glasgow as Rome’s ‘Special Daughter’. Mary Craig’s talk on ‘Glasgow’s Virgin Martyrs’ will bring the first half to a close. After a short break, Neil Baxter’s ‘Three Bishops’ will be followed by Chris Cassells of the National Library of Scotland, who will talk about the Blacader Prayerbook. Dr Gordon Wyllie of the Trust will conclude the day’s events by discussing Archbishop Blacader’s Will. Following questions and a summing-up, there will be a last chance to view the Prayerbook.

Participants

Rev Ian Black, Chaplain to Glasgow Cathedral.

Dr Mary McHugh FSAScot RMARA is Chief archivist of the Archdiocese of Glasgow also secretary of Scottish Catholic Heritage Collections Trust and Heritage Commission.

Dr Irene O’Brien, Trustee of the Mediaeval Glasgow Trust, is Senior archivist in Glasgow City Archives and Chair of the Scottish Council on Archives.

Dominic d’Angelo is a former British diplomat who operated in a number of key Arab states. He is Chair of the Alexander Thomson Society. In that role he has programmed a year- long series of lectures for Glasgow 850.’

Mary W Craig is a writer and historian living in Scotland. She is a former Carnegie scholar and a graduate of the University of Glasgow. She writes about ordinary people and how they live their lives buffeted by the politics and economics of the elite. Mary also gives talks and lectures on various aspects of Scottish and Europe history to community groups across the country.

Neil Baxter has served variously as principal in his own practice, CEO of a major professional institute and Co-Director of Baxter/Jardine Ltd, a publishing company with offices in Glasgow and Berlin.

Chris Cassells is the Head of Archives and Manuscript Collections at the National Library of Scotland, He is a trustee of the Scottish Council on Archives, Reviews Editor for Scottish Archives and sits on the executive committee of the Business Archives Council of Scotland.

Gordon Wyllie FSA Scot, WS is a former Partner in the legal firms Bird Semple and Biggart Baillie. Among his many appointments and associations he has been Deacon Convener of the Trades Of Edinburgh And Clerk to the Trades House of Glasgow; a board nember of Archaeology Scotland and since 2019 has been the Chairman of the Virtual Hamilton Palace Trust.