BOOKS PUBLISHED 1976 TO 2000
Essential Edinburgh.
Not very useful as a source of information, but it does contain references
to John Napier (of logarithms), Sir Archibald Napier, McVey Napier, Merchiston Tower and Napier College.
Imperial Winds.
A romantic novel set in Russi in the period of the Bolshevik Revolution.
Just to show that Priscilla could write fiction as well as factual books..
The Kingdom of Edmund: AD 841-870.
Published privately with the help of a charitable trust to support the Suffolk Historic
Churches Trust, The Old Rectory, Chattisham, Ipswich, Suffolk. The story, in verse, of St. Edmund, King of
East Anglia, who was killed by the Danes in 870. he was regarded as a Saint by 900 and the monastery of Bury
St. Edmunds was founded c. 1020 to house his tomb.
A Memoir of Lady Delia Peel, born Spencer: 1889-1981.
Adelaide Margaret Spencer, always called Delia, was a member of the Spencer family of Althorpe.
She was the sister of the 7th Earl Spencer whose grand-daughter was Diana, Princess of Wales. Her connection with the
Napier family came about when her younger brother, Cecil, attended Dartmouth Naval College where Trevylyan Napier
(Priscilla's father-in-law) was the Captain and she formed a life-long friendship with his son, Trevie Napier (Priscilla's husband)
and thus Priscilla herself. Delia married Sidney Peel, a grandson of Sir Robert Peel, in 1914. Sidney had been best man at the
wedding of Priscilla's father, William Hayter. Sidney and Delia spent their honeymoon in Egypt where they visited the Hayters,
and probably first met Priscilla there. This is the story of Delia's life as told by her friend Priscilla Napier.
Song of the Clyde. A History of Clyde Shipbuilding.
A history of shipbuilding on the River Clyde. many references to members of the
Napier family involved in the industry. Many pictures.
Thomas Napier. The Scottish Connection.
Born in 1747 in the Glasgow area, Thomas
Napier became a tool maker while serving as an indentured apprentice in the
woodworking trade. He set up in business in Edinburgh in 1769 when he married.
Towards the end of 1774 he and his wife sailed from Greenock to Philadelphia
where he set up business as a plane maker. This booklet (30 pages) is his story,
somewhat briefly told but fascinating nevertheless. It contains photographs of
some of Thomas's existing planes as well as reproductions of some
documents.
Go Listen to the Crofters. The Napier Commission & Crofting a Century Ago.
On 19th March 1883, Sir William Harcourt, Home Secretary in Gladstone's Liberal Government,
announced that he was setting up a Royal Commission. Its purpose was "to enquire into the conditions of the crofters
and cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland" and everything concerning them. The Chariman of the Commission
was Lord Napier and Ettrick, the tenth Lord Napier and first Baron Ettrick. This book is only of peripheral interest to Napiers
but it is one of the best records of crofting and life in the Highlands and Islands at the end of the 19th century.
Lennox Lore.
This book is mainly a collection of articles which
were published in newspapers and magazines between about 1967 and 1987. They are
concerned with families, trade, industries, and history of the Lennox area. One
chapter is dedicated to Robert Napier of Shandon, the 19th century marine
engineer.
Warship Building on the Clyde. Naval Orders and the Prosperity of the
Clyde Shipbuilding Industry, 1889 - 1939.
Of particular interest are the many
references to Robert Napier (of West Shandon), "The Father of Clyde
Shipbuilding", and his cousin and brother-in-law, David Napier, who were
instrumental in starting the great shipbuilding tradition on the Clyde.
Dr Patrick Napier of Virginia and Related Families.
This book traces the descendants of Dr Patrick Napier
(son of the barber to King Charles I, who was in America prior
to 1655) of the surname Napier, but also of other related families descended
through female Napiers. It does not try to establish the British ancestors of
Patrick Napier (for this see Dr Patrick Napier by Lt. Col. John H Napier III
below).
The Third Statistical Account of Scotland. The County of Kincardine.
This is a good book for providing background reference material for studies
on the Napiers of Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire. The only mention of a Napier is the Napier School
in Marykirk, built and endowed with money left by David Napier, a native of the village.
Flesh and Bones.
The life, work, and legacies of the great Scot,
John Napier, inventor of Logarithms. Contains some interesting photographs
of Merchiston Tower, before, during, and after restoration.
Selkirkshire in Old Photographs from the Clapperton Studios.
Photographs of Selkirkshire from the 19th century up to the 1950s.
Of interest to Napiers as it contains a photograph of the ruins of the old Tower of Thirlestane
and Thirlestane Manor, now demolished, which was the country home of the Lords Napier and Ettrick.
Pennard.
Pennard House, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, was originally built between 1600 and 1620.
It came into the ownership of the Napier family in 1791 when Edward Berkeley Napier, of the Tintinhull Napiers,
married the heiress of the Pennard Estate. It has been owned by the Napier family until the prsent day (1999) although
the present owner, the daughter of the author, is the grand-daughter of the last person who bore the Napier name to
own it. It contains a brief description of the history of the estate plus the Napier family and the other families into which they married..
I Have Sind. Charles Napier in India 1841-1844.
The story of General Sir Charles Napier, eldest son of Col. George
Napier and Lady Sarah Lennox, who was sent, at age 60, to pick up the pieces
after the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan by Britain in 1839. Contains a
similar family tree of Col. George and Lady Sarah and their descendants as is
contained in "Revolution and the Napier Brothers" (see above).
Clyde River and Other Steamers.
Detailed catalogue of the steamers which sailed on the Clyde
and neighbouring sea lochs and including others on inland lochs. It covers the period from
the 1810s to the 1980s. mentions both David Napier and his cousin Robert Napier, their companies
and the ships that they built.
Raven Castle. Charles Napier in India 1844-1851.
This is the continuing story of General Sir Charles Napier and his
involvement in the affairs of India that was to lead up to the Indian Mutiny in
1857. It also tells of his short life after he returned to Britain in 1851 and his
death in 1853. Contains three maps of India and areas within it, plus an engraving of General
Napier.
Doctor Patrick Napier: His Ancestors and Some Descendants.
This book traces the ancestry of the author back to
Dr Patrick Napier, son of the barber to King Charles I, who was in Virginia
(USA) by 1655. A large proportion of Napiers in the USA is descended from
Patrick. The author also traces the ancestry of Patrick Napier to the Napiers of
Kilmahew (Dumbartonshire) and thus the Earls of Lennox. It also has a good
description of the early history of the Celtic Lennox family.
Robert Napier 1791-1876. Father of Clyde Shipbuilding.
This small booklet (A5 - 16 pages) was prepared to coincide
with an exhibition celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Robert Napier.
It contains photographs of his first marine engine and also one of his home, West Shandon.
Kingdom or Province? Scotland and the Regal Union 1603-1715.
In this book the author sets out to explain how the regal union operated
at both a British level and in terms of its impact on Scottish domestic politics. One reference
to Archibald, first Lord Napier, and his 1640 draft Letter on Sovereign Power
which tried to satisfy the need to redefine a royalist ideology within a Scottish native
tradition as a result of the Covenanters' success.
The Aristocrats.
The story of the daughters of the second Duke of
Richmond, a grandson of King Charles II. A story of high politics, romance,
family life, and tragedy. Sarah, the fourth daughter, married Col. George
Napier, fifth son of Francis, sixth Lord Napier, and his second wife. Sarah had
a scandalous and rather tempestuous youth before meeting George. Sarah and
George had a very happy marriage and produced eight children, including five
boys who all rose to eminence in their chosen professions, three in the Army,
one in the Navy, and one in Learning. The book gives a good description of their
life in Ireland and the involvement of the sisters in Irish and British
politics.
The Ballad of King Henry VIII and Sir Thomas Wyatt.
This was published privately by the author when she lived at the above address.
This is the story of Sir Thomas Wyatt, poet and diplomat, one time lover of Anne Boleyn before King Henry
VIII became interested in her, and of King Henry VIII. Told in dramatic form in free verse.
Barbarian Eye. Lord Napier in China, 1834. The Prelude to Hong
Kong.
This is the story of William, ninth Lord Napier, who
was sent to China by the British Government in 1834, not to stop the opium
smuggling, but to seek a settlement between the British sea-traders and the
Cantonese authorities. It was Lord Napier who noticed the advantage of the small
island called Hong Kong. It also describes life in both England and Scotland in
the early 19th century, and life at the court of William IV, who was close
friend and mentor of Lord Napier. Contains portraits of Lord Napier, his wife,
and William IV.
Black Charlie. A Life of Admiral Sir Charles Napier KCB, 1787 - 1860.
The life of Charlie Napier, son of another Charles
Napier, fifth son of the sixth Lord Napier. Black Charlie, so-called because of
his jet-black hair and unusually swarthy skin, was brought up in Edinburgh and
went to sea at the age of twelve. In later life he argued vehemently with the
Admiralty in favour of ironclad ships, and for the abolishment of flogging and
press gangs.
The Ingenious Mr Bell. A Life of Henry Bell (1767-1830) Pioneer of Steam Navigation.
Henry Bell was the designer and builder of the "Comet", the first steamship used for commercial service
in Europe, sailing from Glasgow to Greenock. David Napier (1790-1869) built the boiler for the first engine of the Comet (for which
he was never fully paid). He is mentioned on seven pages in this book. David's cousin, Robert Napier (1791-1876), (The Father of
Clyde Shipbuilding), a champion of Bell, is also mentioned, as is his company Robert Napier & Sons..
Bourtie Kirk 800 Years.
The book covers a period of eight centuries of Aberdeenshire history from 1190 to 1940. It tells the story of
Burtie Parish, a small country parish, north of Inverurie, from the time a church was established on the site, before 1199, to the time it
was joined with the nearby Parish of Meldrum. Archibald Napier was Minister of Bourtie between 1720 and 1722 and had a very troubled
time there.
A Source List (of documents) concerning mostly the Napier Family of
Kilmahew, Dumbartonshire, Scotland, leading to Dr Patrick Napier of Virginia,
the ancestor of the majority of Napiers in North America.
As well as containing a list of
source document dating from pre-1300 to 1668, it contains a list of sources of
additional information, and information about the system of double-dates, Scots
money, and the spelling of the family surname. Copies are available from the
authors.
Montrose, Covenanter, Royalist and Man of Principle.
A short (48 pages) book on the story of the first Marquis of Montrose.
It is very brief but gives good background of the events of Montose's life and his relationship
with the Covenanters. Plenty of pictures. A good read to get the background.
Cardross Seminary (Gillespie, Kidd and Coia and the Architecture
of Post-war Catholicism).
This is the story of Cardross Seminary, which was built on the Kilmahew
Esatate at Cardross in the 1960s. Although the Seminary building is a Grade A listed building,
it has not been in use since the early 1980s and is virtually a derelict shell, which matches the
ruins of Kilmahew Castle, the ancestral home of the Napiers of Kilmahew, which stands at the north
end of the estate. This is only of passing interest to Napiers.
St Mahew's Cardross, 1467-1955-1997.
On the Sunday
after Ascension in 1467, the Church of St Mahew was dedicated by Bishop George
Lauder of Argyll and the Isles. It had been rebuilt on land donated by, and with
funds from, Duncan Napier, Laird of Kilmahew. On the Sunday after Ascension in
1955, St Mahew's was re-opened, having been rebuilt by the Catholic Archdiocese
of Glasgow after falling into ruin after the Reformation. It was rededicated by
Archbishop Donald Campbell of Glasgow (formerly Bishop of Argyll and the Isles).
On the Sunday after Ascension in 1997, Col. John H Napier III of Ramer, Alabama,
USA, a direct descendant of the above Duncan Napier, was present at the
dedication of a new sanctuary lamp and lit it, to celebrate the 530th
anniversary of the original dedication. This little 16-page booklet is a copy
of an article printed in St Peter's College magazine of June 1949 by Fr. David
McRoberts, lecturer in church history at the college. The college was housed on
the Kilmahew estate which once belonged to the Napier family. The estate is
derelict, the college having been closed some years previously. The booklet
contains an old map of the Cardross area showing the relationship of St Mahew's
to other churches in the area. It also contains a map of the Kilmahew estate and
a photograph of the church.
Napier Powered (The Archive Photograph Series).
The story, told in pictures and captions, of D Napier & Son
from the production of the first motor car in 1900 to the present day. David Napier, cousin
of Robert Napier, the Father of Clyde Shipbuilding, set up his precision engineering factory
in London in 1808. Napier cars and engines either held or powered British holders of the
World Land Speed Record up to the one set in 1947 (which stood for 16 years). The Napier
Lion aero engine powered the Schneider Trophy winning Supermarine seaplane and the Napier
Sabre engine powered the Typhoon and Tempest World WWar II (WW II) fighter aircraft, the
fastest piston-engine powered aircraft of their time The Lion engine also powerd Motor
Torpedo Boats and Air-Sea Rescue Launches during WW II. A must for anybody interested
in the achievements of this Napier engineering company.
Henry at Sea. Part One of the Life of Captain Henry Napier RN
1789-1853.
Henry Napier was the fifth son of Col.
George Napier and Lady Sarah Lennox. This is the story of his life up to 1823.
He joined the Navy aged fourteen but did not go to sea until he was seventeen.
He served all over the world, including the 1812 war against the USA. Both he
and his eldest brother Charles urged friends and relations in Britain to take
the Americans more seriously.
Henry Ashore. Part Two of the Life of Captain Henry Napier RN
1789-1853.
Henry Napier was the fifth son of Col.
George Napier and Lady Sarah Lennox. This is the story of his life from his
marriage in 1823 to Caroline Bennett, the natural daughter of his uncle Charles
Lennox, third Duke of Richmond, to his death in 1853 after suffering ill health
and much pain during the latter years of his life.
Napier, The Forgotten Chessmaster.
William Ewart Napier, born 1881 in East Dulwich, London,
England, died in 1952 in Washington DC, USA. A very eminent chess player throughout
his life but best known in the chess world for the games he played in the early
part of the 20th century. This is a compination of his life story and all the games
that he played. Definitely for chess players, but of interest to Napier historians.
Citizen Lord: Edwrd Fitzgerald 1763-1798.
This is the story of the Irish revolutionary, Lord Edward Fitzgerald,
son of James Fitzgerald, 20th Earl Kildare and first Duke of Leinster, and Lady Emily Lennox,
daughter of Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Lennox, and sister of Lady Sarah Lennox, wife
of Colonle George Napier. Emily and Sarah were very close, especially when Sarah and her family
were living in Ireland. There are many references to the Napier family..
Napier, The First to Wear the Green.
Told here fully for the first time, this is the fascinating
story of Napier, the London company whose cars established Britain as a major player
in the pioneering days of motor racing, and whose engines later powered a spectacular
series of world land speed record breakers. The book chronicles half a century of
continuous technological achievement, from Queen Victoria's reign to the 1960s.
Lavishly illustrated (See also Napier Powered above).
Foudland: Slate Quarriers and Crofters in Aberdeenshire.
The Hill of Foudland lies to the south and west of the A96 road, approximately 10
kilometres south-east of Huntly. The book describes the lives of the quarriers and crofters of the area up until
the early 20th century. It has many maps and photographs. An Alexander Napier was one of seven male quarriers
who lived in Bogfoutan in 1841, but seemed to have disappeared before 1851.
Nemesis.
A science-fiction type thriller about the race against time to deflect an asteroid on a collision
course with earth. A very good read. Dr Bill Napier is an astronomer at the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland
and is an internationally recognised authority on the celestial hazard issue. He was one of the first astronomers to
recognise that the Earth is at risk from its interplanetary and galactic environments, and that celestial bombardment may
even have precipitated the collapse of early civilizations.
Early Napiers in Scotland.
Originally written in 1997 but revised after comments by the compiler
of this bibliography. It tries to establish links between the Napiers of Kilmahew and the
Napiers of Merchiston. It relies heavily on research done by Richard MacAuley, an American
student of architectural archaeology doing a Ph.D. at Glasgow School of Architecture (which
he completed in 1999). The MacAuleys held the lands of Ardincaple in Dumbartonshire which
was virtually next door to the lands of Kilmahew. It is a follow-on from his book on his
descent from the Napiers of Kilmahew (see above) and the Source
List for the same family compiled by him and the compiler of this bibliography.
It contains many references to original sources.
Coming Home from Sea: Selected Poems.
A collection of poems by Priscilla Napier, written between 1929 and 1998. The last one was
written just six weeks before her death in 1998.
Sheet Anchor.
Priscilla Napier wrote poetry her whole life from the age of 16 until just six weeks before her death
at the age of 90 in 1998. This is a collection of poems to the memory of her husband Commander Trevylyan Michael Napier RN,
who died on 30 August 1940. Left with three young children to raise on her own Priscilla assuaged her grief by writing these,
and other, moving poems..
Plymouth at War: A Verse Documentary.
To quote Priscilla, "This piece of verbatim reporting was made during the years 1939-46 and
embellished with verse as it went along. There could have been no question of publishing it then; because what was
said was said by real people under great stress and in private." This is the story of the people of Plymouth during the
Second World War. It was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 subsequent to its first publication.
Napier Motor Carriage Centenary 1900-2000.
It contains short articles on the history of D Napier & Son and the cars, plus coloured
photographs of 32 Napier cars including a Lion-engined Napier-Bentley and the Napier-Railton car. It also contains a
list of British -built Napier cars.
The Napier Way.
The story of the author's life working in the company D Napier & Son starting as an
apprentice in 1928 until his resignation in 1962. An insight into life in the Napier factory and the "goings-on" in the
design offices.
Revelation.
Another science-fiction type thriller from the pen of Professor Bill Napier, this time about the
development of the atom bomb. Another good read..
By Precision into Power. A Bicentennial Record of D Napier & Son.
A whole succession of printing presses, machine tools, motorboats, aircraft,
locomotives, automobiles and trucks have been powered by engines from the factories of D Napier & Son.
From racing cars to weighing machines for the Bank of England, from world-class Deltic locomotives
to the Napier Lion racing aircraft engine, the most powerful of the world's machines have been Napier powered.
This volume tells the history of D Napier & Son from the company's beginning in Lambeth to the great
works in Acton, north-west London. Other works were later located in Luton and Liverpool. At its peak
20,000 people worked for the Napier company, but produces from from the Siemens works at Lincoln. In 2008 Siemens
sold the company to Primary Capital, an investment company.
© Charlie Napier,
Morningside, Edinburgh, Scotland.