30/08/2026
📜 Book of the Week!
Among the volumes recently catalogued at Leith Hall is a difficult but revealing work, James MacQueen’s The Colonial Controversy. Published in 1825 in opposition to the abolitionist movement, the book sought to influence government and public opinion by presenting immediate emancipation as a threat to Britain’s economic interests. Rather than defending slavery in abstract terms, MacQueen framed the issue around prosperity, property, and political stability.
The book is particularly significant in relation to Andrew Leith-Hay, seventh Laird of Leith Hall, who later served as Liberal MP for Elgin Burghs. Andrew voted in favour of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, but his support was reluctant and remained shaped by racist and paternalistic views. While the book’s presence at Leith Hall does not prove that he owned or endorsed it, it reminds us that support for abolition could coexist with deeply entrenched beliefs in racial inequality.
As part of ongoing collections care at Leith Hall, our team are currently cataloguing, cleaning, and assessing the condition of the historic library collection. Visitors can observe this process taking place on Fridays in the Oval Room.
