RABAN 400
  • Home
  • Digital Exhibition
    • Who was Edward Raban
    • Raban Revisted
    • Raban's Circle
    • Perth Assembly
    • Arrival in Aberdeen
    • Ornaments and Devices
    • Raban and the Bear
    • The Townes Armes
    • Time of Turmoil
    • Elusive to the end
    • Legacy
    • Raban at St Andrews
    • Theses Philosophicae
    • Poeticall Recreations
    • Raine from the clouds
    • First blast of the trumpet
    • A silver watchbell
    • Prognostications
    • Raban's Psalter
    • Funerals and Epitaphs for Bishop Patrick Forbes
    • Duplyes
    • Solemn League and National Covenant
    • Antidote agaynst Poperie
    • The Old Roman Catholick
  • Raban Family
  • Up Close Day

D I G I T A L   E X H I B I T I ON

Picture

“The Prowest baillies and Counsall upon dyvers gude considerationnes gives and grantis to Eduard Raban printer induellar in this burghe Ane pensioun of fourtie pundis yeirlie”.

Picture

Who was Edward Raban?

Edward Raban is an elusive and enigmatic figure.  Read about his life here and then follow the links below to discover the recently uncovered new details about him. 

Picture
Picture
Picture

Raban revisted: new details about his life


Raban's circle and connections


Raban and the Perth Assembly


Picture
Picture
Picture

Arrival in Aberdeen


Ornaments and Devices


Raban and the Bear


Picture
Picture
Picture

The Townes Armes
​

Theses Philosophicae:
first book printed in Aberdeen

Almanacs and Prognostications




Picture
Picture
Picture

A time of turmoil

Raban: elusive to the end

Raban's printing legacy in Aberdeen





D I G I T A L   E X H I B I T I ON

Picture
Explore some of the volumes by Edward Raban held by the University of Aberdeen's Library, Special Collections and Museums a partner in Raban400.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Theses Philosophicae
​

Poeticall Recreations of
​Mr Alexander Craig

Raine from the Clouds
​

The First Blast of the Trumpet
​

Theses Philosophicae is the first book printed in Aberdeen in July 1622.  Raban produced it within weeks of his arrival in the town. ​ It contains Master theses which were to be defended that summer.
Raban's edition of the poetry of Alexander Craig of Craig-Rose (Banff) printed for David Melvill, bookseller in Aberdeen 1623.
Raine from the Clouds, a theological work, by Andrew Logie, Parson of Raine and Archdeacon of Aberdeen.  It contains the original, uncracked Town Arms.  Printed by Raban in 1624.
The First Blast of the Trumpet (or the dangers to Christian States) by Hay of Naughton.  Printed by Raban in 1627, it was a not uncontroversial book, provoking the ire of the Archbishop of St Andrews.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

A Silver Watchbell
​

Prognostication
Almanac for 1632

Raban's Psalter
​

Funerals and Epitaphs for Bishop Patrick Forbes

Thomas Tynne's Silver Watchbell was one of the most popular devotion texts of the first half of the seventeenth century.  Raban printed it in 1627, the seventeenth impression of the work.
Raban's Almanacs were the most successfully and highly regarded in Scotland.  His first was for 1623 and started an Aberdeen tradition of almanac printing that continued to the 1950s. 
Raban's Psalter printed in 1633 is one of the jewels of the collection.  He established a strong reputation for printing music and the tone settings (such as 'Bon Accord') included in the Psalter represent a key element of the volume.
Bishop Patrick Forbes was instrumental in bring Raban to Aberdeen and the printed genuinely mourned him.  Raban printed the funeral orations and epitaphs for Forbes in 1635, including his own tribute, Raban's Regrate. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Duplyes of the Ministers of Aberdene

Solemn League and Covenant

An Antidote agaynst Poperie
​

The Old Roman Catholick
​

Duplyes was the volume written by the 'Aberdeen Doctors' as a response to the National Covenant.  It was printed by Raban in 1638 and contains an interesting 'Escapes in the printing' or errata list.  
Despite Aberdeen being strongly against the National Covenant, Raban was obliged to print it in 1643 when the Solemn League required every adult to sign it. 
Dr William Guild was one of the most prominent scholars and preachers in Aberdeen at the time.  A number of his works were printed by Edward Raban include his Antidote agaynst Poperie in 1639.
The final book that Edward Raban produced was another work by Dr William Guild.  It was printed in 1649, the year Raban retired and passed on the role of Town and University Printer to James Brown.  

Picture

Robert Baron's Philosophia Theologiæ Ancillans: Raban in St Andrews

Edward Raban left Edinburgh for St Andrews around Whisun 1620.  He remained there for two year before moving north of Aberdeen in the early summer of 1622.  He printed a number of volumes in St Andrews including this volume for Dr Robert Baron, Minister of Keith in Banffshire who would become part of Raban's circle when he moved to Aberdeen

D I G I T A L   E X H I B I T I ON


R A B A N  D E P I C T A
A cabinet of curiosities

Raban's colophons*, devices and ornaments

​* scroll down to discover what a colophon is.

A colophon is a publisher's emblem or imprint, usually on the title page of a book.


D I G I T A L  E X H I B I T I O N

RABAN AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

We are grateful to our friends at the National Library of Scotland for permission to share images of their collection of the works of Edward Raban.
Picture

UNDERSTANDING BOOKS

Picture
Picture

The Laird of Letters

Edward Raban often like to refer to himself as the 'Laird of Letters'.  Here you can find some of the earlier printed works that deal with Raban and Aberdeen printing history.

The Aberdeen Printers: from Edward Raban to James Nichol 1620-1736 by J.P. Edmond

Opens in new window
Picture

The early career of Edward Raban, afterwards first printer in Aberdeen by E. Gordon Duff

Contains many useful details but also some which have been surpassed by more modern research
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Picture
Raban 400 is a partnership involving Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen Special Collections, Peacock & the Worm, and Aberdeen City Council Library and Information Service. It has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Picture
  • Home
  • Digital Exhibition
    • Who was Edward Raban
    • Raban Revisted
    • Raban's Circle
    • Perth Assembly
    • Arrival in Aberdeen
    • Ornaments and Devices
    • Raban and the Bear
    • The Townes Armes
    • Time of Turmoil
    • Elusive to the end
    • Legacy
    • Raban at St Andrews
    • Theses Philosophicae
    • Poeticall Recreations
    • Raine from the clouds
    • First blast of the trumpet
    • A silver watchbell
    • Prognostications
    • Raban's Psalter
    • Funerals and Epitaphs for Bishop Patrick Forbes
    • Duplyes
    • Solemn League and National Covenant
    • Antidote agaynst Poperie
    • The Old Roman Catholick
  • Raban Family
  • Up Close Day