MARGARET CUTHERBERTSON FORBES
Margaret Cuthbertson was Aberdeen’s first and only female printer to the Town and University. Interestingly, publications that she would have printed between 1705 and 1710 were attributed to “Successors to John Forbes”.
John Forbes, her husband was the third of Aberdeen’s Town and University Printers. John Forbes was the Town’s printer from 1662 – 1704 having followed in the footsteps of Edward Raban, Aberdeen’s first printer (1622-1650) and James Brown (1650-1661).
John Forbes died in late 1704 and his young widow succeeded him having been appointed by the Town Council on 7 February 1705. She printed documents for the Town including the 1707 Burger’s Oath for which a new woodblock of the Towns Arms was cut. This was not as fine a wood block as the one it replaced. This had been commissioned by Edward Raban around 1623 and used continuously, despite a crack appearing in 1624, for around 40 years. She also printed theses for the University and James Urquhart’s Principia Medicinae in 1707.
She continued the tradition started by Edward Raban of publishing an annual Almanac, Gloria Deo in Excelsis, Good News from the Stars, for each of the years of her tenure.
She was succeeded as the Town’s Printer in late 1710 by her son-in-law James Nicol. Nicol held the post until 1736 when he was forced to retire due to ill health.
Entry written by Paul Mitchell
John Forbes, her husband was the third of Aberdeen’s Town and University Printers. John Forbes was the Town’s printer from 1662 – 1704 having followed in the footsteps of Edward Raban, Aberdeen’s first printer (1622-1650) and James Brown (1650-1661).
John Forbes died in late 1704 and his young widow succeeded him having been appointed by the Town Council on 7 February 1705. She printed documents for the Town including the 1707 Burger’s Oath for which a new woodblock of the Towns Arms was cut. This was not as fine a wood block as the one it replaced. This had been commissioned by Edward Raban around 1623 and used continuously, despite a crack appearing in 1624, for around 40 years. She also printed theses for the University and James Urquhart’s Principia Medicinae in 1707.
She continued the tradition started by Edward Raban of publishing an annual Almanac, Gloria Deo in Excelsis, Good News from the Stars, for each of the years of her tenure.
She was succeeded as the Town’s Printer in late 1710 by her son-in-law James Nicol. Nicol held the post until 1736 when he was forced to retire due to ill health.
Entry written by Paul Mitchell
