Dutch influence on the reception of Roman law in the Scottish legal system: a case study of the Newhailes Library, 1685-1792

Koers, Jochem Luc (2022) Dutch influence on the reception of Roman law in the Scottish legal system: a case study of the Newhailes Library, 1685-1792. LL.M(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Spanning over three generations, the Dalrymple of Hailes family, consisting of famous Scottish lawyers, collected a magnificent collection of law books, embodied in the Newhailes Library. Sir David Dalrymple, 3rd Baronet of Hailes (1726-1792) and his grandfather, Sir David Dalrymple, 1st Baronet of Hailes (1665-1721), equipped with a solid legal education from the Netherlands, embarked on influential legal careers and, together with Hailes’ father, Sir James Dalrymple, 2nd Baronet of Hailes (1692-1751), gathered many interesting Dutch Roman law works throughout their lives. At the same time, the Scottish legal landscape was characterised by its reception of Roman law, strongly influenced by Dutch legal scholarship, for example via Scottish students studying (Roman) law in the Netherlands in large numbers and bringing the valuable knowledge gleaned back to their homeland. These events make one wonder, to what extent was the Newhailes Library emblematic of a trend of Dutch influence on the reception of Roman law in the Scottish legal system, that was present at the time? This thesis will explore the answer to this question in depth, thoroughly examining the detailed Dutch Roman law contents of the Newhailes Library, as well as the nature of Hailes’ familial and professional background, and the Newhailes Library in relation to two other renowned Scottish law libraries.

• Item Type: Thesis (LL.M(R))
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: K Law > K Law (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Law
• Supervisor's Name: Metzger, Professor Ernest
• Date of Award: 2022
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2022-83100
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 31 Aug 2022 13:12
• Last Modified: 31 Aug 2022 13:15
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.83100
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/83100