learned Scots in Poland (from the mid-sixteenth to the close of the eighteenth century), The

Canadian Slavonic Papers, Mar 2001 by Anna Bieganska

The third Charles Ramsay (1652-1730) followed his father not only by climbing the municipal ladder, but also by sharing his passion as a historiographer of Elblag. He wrote the following works: "Beschreibung der koniglichen Stadt Elbing in Preussen," covering the years 1232-1627; "Chronologia oder Zeit-Register der Stadt Elbing," from 1237 to 1716; and "Von den Kirchen der Stadt Elbing," relating to the period 1232-1716.

The grandson of the latter, Charles Ernest (1721-1773), mayor of Elblag since 1765, concentrated on collecting primary and secondary sources pertaining to the town. Eventually he accumulated 15 volumes of materials entitled "Manuscriptorum Elbingensium," which covered the period of its history from 1246 to 1747; while other of his collections related to specific subject areas: "Instituta Maiorum circa regimen Civitatis Elbingensis," which traced their development since 1233; and "Statuten des Londychen Conthars," in which he concentrated on the years 1342-1554.

Charles Ferdinand (1777-1863), Charles Ernest's grandson, registrar at the Municipal Archives, availed himself of the post he held to elaborate the eight-- volume "Chronik der Stadt Elbing, 1801-1851." He also compiled five volumes comprising orders and regulations which were issued during the period from 1805 to 1808, including those which came into effect during the Napoleonic times.

The research and writing activities of the Ramsays, as well as their collection of primary and secondary sources relating to Elblag, clearly reveal how closely the family was bound with the town their ancestor had made his home.28

In Gdansk the municipal clerk Andrew Scot (1707-1764) became a prodigious researcher in the town's archives. As a result, he left a valuable heritage, the majority of which are handwritten papers, apart from published works and translations. They reflect his broad interests in the past of this important Baltic port, as well as its links with Poland. The following may be used as examples: "Beitrage zur preussischen and polnischen Kirchengeschichte;" "Evangelische Kirchen in Polen and Litauen;" Prussia Christians (Gdansk, 1738); Theologorum qui Gedani vixerunt (Gdansk, 1758); "Evangelische Presbyteriologie der Stadte Graudentz and Dirschau;" "Sammlungen zur preussischen and polnischen Literatur- and Gelehrtengeschichte;" Analecta ad Athenas Gedanenses (Gdansk, 1738); "Verzeichnis der Schullherr in Preussen and Polen;" "Verzeichnis der polnischen Anonymorum and Pseudonymorum;" and Tractatio luris Publici de Indigenatu Polonorum, 2 pts. (Gdansk, 1758-59). Scot also busied himself with translations from Latin to German. For example, De origine et rebus gesti Polonorum of Marcin Kromer (1512-1559) was translated as Beschreibung des Konigreiches Polen (Gdansk-Leipzig, 1741); and Historia Polona a Lecho ad Augusti II mortem of Gottfried Lengnich (1689-1774) as Polnische Geschichte von den Zeiten Lecho bis auf das Absterben Kdnigs Augusti II (Leipzig, 1741). He also edited and elaborated Isaac Gottfried G6dtke's dissertation entitled Evangelischen Predigt-Amt in den kleineren Stadten des polnischen Preussens (Gdansk, 1753).29