- Swinton, Duns, Berwickshire
Janet Starkey
Durham University, Anthropology, Department Member
- A retired lecturer from Durham University and a founder member of the Association for the Study of Egypt and the Near... moreA retired lecturer from Durham University and a founder member of the Association for the Study of Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE), she has published many edited volumes and articles on the Middle East. Her latest published book is The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad: The Russells of Braidshaw in Aleppo and on the Coast of Coromandel (Leiden: Brill, 2018). In press is Janet and Paul Starkey (eds), Pious Pilgrims, Discerning Travellers, Curious Tourists (Oxford, Archaeopress) with an authored introuctory essay and an article therein entitled 'Gardens of Paradise'. dop by September 2020.edit
... Edinburgh CHRISTOPHER FYFE 'All Good Men': The development of Lubwa mission, Chinsali, Zambia, 1905-1967, by At Ipenburg. Peter Lang, Frankfurt, 1992. 350 pp. paperback. DM98. ... Lubwa mission is notable for... more
... Edinburgh CHRISTOPHER FYFE 'All Good Men': The development of Lubwa mission, Chinsali, Zambia, 1905-1967, by At Ipenburg. Peter Lang, Frankfurt, 1992. 350 pp. paperback. DM98. ... Lubwa mission is notable for its connection with Kenneth
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During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James... more
During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James Capper (1743–1825), from Londonderry, appointed in 1773 (Fig.8.2); and Eyles Irwin (?1751–1817), an Irish poet born in Calcutta, and appointed in 1767 (Fig.8.3 and Fig 8.5). Traditionally, there were two major routes for travel between England and India: one via the Cape of Good Hope, a journey that took at least six months; and another overland via Antioch to Aleppo and across the Great Syrian Desert to Basra, then by ship to Bombay. A further option between India and England was explored in the mid-18th century: up the Red Sea to Suez, across the Eastern Desert to Cairo, along the Nile to Rosetta and then Alexandria to catch a boat heading for Europe.
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Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie... more
Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie (1747–1811); at least thirty-six specimens still survive there. Freer had collected these plants at the behest of another Scot, Patrick Russell MD FRS (1726/7–1805). Freer had succeeded Patrick as physician-surgeon to the Levant Company Factory in Aleppo in 1772 and worked there until March 1781, then crossed the Syrian Desert to India. Patrick worked in Aleppo from 1750 to 1772 and in turn, replaced his half-brother, Alexander Russell MD FRS LRCP (1714–1768) who served in the same post from 1740 to 1754 (Starkey 2018). They all trained at Edinburgh Medical School, knew John Hope well, and studied the natural history around Aleppo, collecting plants and seeds. Alexander Russell published The Natural History of Aleppo in 1756 and Patrick published a completely rewritten edition in 1794, hereinafter called Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 respectively. Eighteenth-century European readers were fascinated by the curious flora and fauna, by exotic and delightful landscapes — inspired by the Arabian Nights — so it is not surprising to find that the two editions of The Natural History of Aleppo reflect the Enlightenment motifs of good taste, and the elegance and beauty of Aleppine gardens. Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 are full of details about birds, animals (domesticated and wild), trees, and flowers. The chapter will also reflect on the impact of Freer’s botanical legacy on Aleppo2 and comment on flora they collected and described and plants they brought back from the Ottoman Empire, before outlining the impact of the Linnaean revolution that transformed Aleppo1 into Aleppo2.
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Chapter 8 of Janet Starkey, The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad: The Russells of Braidshaw in Aleppo and on the Coast of Coromandel (Brill 2018) is now on open access during the CV19 Pandemic. This is particularly relevant at the moment as... more
Chapter 8 of Janet Starkey, The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad: The Russells of Braidshaw in Aleppo and on the Coast of Coromandel (Brill 2018) is now on open access during the CV19 Pandemic. This is particularly relevant at the moment as it discusses how physicians in Aleppo in the eighteenth century dealt with epidemics. Though they dealt with different pathogens from cv19 they faced so many of the same dilemmas. Sections in the chapter include approaches to epidemic diseases, precautions and treatments; shutting up i.e. isolating, and policing during epidemics, the work of the Privy Council Advisory Committees, the use of medical statistics and weather observations and so on.
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his chapter examines the Khan al-Jumruk (‘Customs Khan’) and its place within the social space of the Aleppo commercial center, exploring the many-faceted spatial relationships and the synergy between the Khān al-Jumruk and the... more
his chapter examines the Khan al-Jumruk (‘Customs Khan’) and its place within the social space of the Aleppo commercial center, exploring the many-faceted spatial relationships and the synergy between the Khān al-Jumruk and the surrounding bazaars of the World Heritage site, the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. The khan was built in 1574 as part of a larger complex that included a qaysāriyyaa nd two sūqs. Typically it has a central interior courtyard with commercial enterprises on the ground floor and larger rooms and accommodation for traveling merchants on the first floor. It is also near other khans and caravanserais and is on a key route through the bazaar towards the citadel, which dominates the city and overshadows the bazaars. Chapter 5 in The Bazaar in the Islamic City: Design, Culture, and History edited by Mohammad Gharipour. Print ISBN-13: 9789774165290; Published to Cairo Scholarship Online: January 2013. DOI: 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.001.0001; chapter is 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.003.0005
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In 2004 a conference marking the second phase of the Red Sea Project was held at the British Museum; its theme this time was on trade, travel and exchange between the peoples on both sides of the Red Sea. Illustrated throughout, the... more
In 2004 a conference marking the second phase of the Red Sea Project was held at the British Museum; its theme this time was on trade, travel and exchange between the peoples on both sides of the Red Sea. Illustrated throughout, the initial six papers focus on the Pharaonic and classical periods. Contributors examine, for example, the archaeological evidence for Pharonic coastal settlements, the interaction of Romans with Troglodites, Aksumite trade and the exchange systems of the Red Sea region and Indian Ocean. The remaining nine papers move the emphasis forward to consider the movement of people and the interaction between cultures during the medieval and modern periods. Subjects here include travellers on the Red Sea coast, 12th-century crusaders, the Egyptian port of Al-Qusayr in 1799-1800, wildlife conservaton in Saudi Arabia, Europeans and 19th-century Jiddah, linguistics and magical practices.
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Research Interests: Geography and Rendezvous
Research Interests: Art and Aleppo Pine
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Research Interests: Geography and Aleppo Pine
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During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James... more
During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James Capper (1743–1825), from Londonderry, appointed in 1773 (Fig.8.2); and Eyles Irwin (?1751–1817), an Irish poet born in Calcutta, and appointed in 1767 (Fig.8.3 and Fig 8.5). Traditionally, there were two major routes for travel between England and India: one via the Cape of Good Hope, a journey that took at least six months; and another overland via Antioch to Aleppo and across the Great Syrian Desert to Basra, then by ship to Bombay. A further option between India and England was explored in the mid-18th century: up the Red Sea to Suez, across the Eastern Desert to Cairo, along the Nile to Rosetta and then Alexandria to catch a boat heading for Europe.
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Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that the Seminar will cover many fascinating subjects on (though not restricted to) the following main themes: .Travellers’ accounts related to the... more
Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that the Seminar will cover many fascinating subjects on (though not restricted to) the following main themes: .Travellers’ accounts related to the botanical legacy of any part of the former Ottoman Empire (e.g. presentday Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, Arabian Peninsula etc.) .The flora of the region, including their heritage, preservation and medicinal uses .Bulbs of the region, especially tulips, and their cultural significance; Tulipomania .Ottoman garden design and architecture .Floral and related motifs in Ottoman art, including textiles, ceramics etc. .Culinary aspects of the botanical legacy of the region .Literary, pictorial and photographic depictions of any aspect of the botanical and horticultural legacy of the region .Orientalism as applicable to any of the seminar’s main themes.
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Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie... more
Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie (1747–1811); at least thirty-six specimens still survive there. Freer had collected these plants at the behest of another Scot, Patrick Russell MD FRS (1726/7–1805). Freer had succeeded Patrick as physician-surgeon to the Levant Company Factory in Aleppo in 1772 and worked there until March 1781, then crossed the Syrian Desert to India. Patrick worked in Aleppo from 1750 to 1772 and in turn, replaced his half-brother, Alexander Russell MD FRS LRCP (1714–1768) who served in the same post from 1740 to 1754 (Starkey 2018). They all trained at Edinburgh Medical School, knew John Hope well, and studied the natural history around Aleppo, collecting plants and seeds. Alexander Russell published The Natural History of Aleppo in 1756 and Patrick published a completely rewritten edition in 1794, hereinafter called Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 respectively. Eighteenth-century European readers were fascinated by the curious flora and fauna, by exotic and delightful landscapes — inspired by the Arabian Nights — so it is not surprising to find that the two editions of The Natural History of Aleppo reflect the Enlightenment motifs of good taste, and the elegance and beauty of Aleppine gardens. Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 are full of details about birds, animals (domesticated and wild), trees, and flowers. The chapter will also reflect on the impact of Freer’s botanical legacy on Aleppo2 and comment on flora they collected and described and plants they brought back from the Ottoman Empire, before outlining the impact of the Linnaean revolution that transformed Aleppo1 into Aleppo2.
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n The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad, Janet Starkey examines the lives and works of Scots working in the mid eighteenth century with the Levant Company in Aleppo, then within the Ottoman Empire; and those working with the East India... more
n The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad, Janet Starkey examines the lives and works of Scots working in the mid eighteenth century with the Levant Company in Aleppo, then within the Ottoman Empire; and those working with the East India Company in India, especially in the fields of natural history, medicine, ethnography and the collection of Arabic and Persian manuscripts. The focus is on brothers from Edinburgh: Alexander Russell MD FRS, Patrick Russell MD FRS, Claud Russell and William Russell FRS. By examining a wide range of modern interpretations, Starkey argues that the Scottish Enlightenment was not just a philosophical discourse but a multi-faceted cultural revolution that owed its vibrancy to ties of kinship, and to strong commercial and intellectual links with Europe and further abroad.
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Along the Red Sea littoral European travels (Jean-Louis Burckhardt, Frederic Cailliaud, Giovanni Belzoni, Sir John Garnder Wilkinson, Georg Schweinfurth etc) were intertwined with those of Beja nomads especially the Ababdah and Bisharin... more
Along the Red Sea littoral European travels (Jean-Louis Burckhardt, Frederic Cailliaud, Giovanni Belzoni, Sir John Garnder Wilkinson, Georg Schweinfurth etc) were intertwined with those of Beja nomads especially the Ababdah and Bisharin and with Christian and Muslim pilgrims along the Red Sea. pp.75-86 .Society for Arabian Studis Monographs no. 3. ISBN 1841718335. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2005. BAR 1395
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The Proceedings of Red Sea Project III held in the British Museum, London, in October 2006. Contents: 1) Environment, landscapes and archaeology of the Yemeni Tihamah (R. Neil Munro and Tony J. Wilkinson); 2) The formation of a southern... more
The Proceedings of Red Sea Project III held in the British Museum, London, in October 2006. Contents: 1) Environment, landscapes and archaeology of the Yemeni Tihamah (R. Neil Munro and Tony J. Wilkinson); 2) The formation of a southern Red Sea seascape in the Late Prehistoric Period: Tracing cross-Red Sea culture-contact, interaction, and maritime communities along the Tihamah coastal plain, Yemen, in the third to first millennium BC (Lamya Khalidi); 3) Products from the Read Sea at Petra in the Medieval Period (Stephan G Schmid and Jacqueline Studer); 4) Continuing studies of plants and animals and their Arabic names from the Royal Danish Expedition to the Red Sea, 1761-1763 (F. Nigel Hepper); 5) Coral reef conservation and the current status of reefs of the Ras Mohamed National Park in the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqabah (Steve McMellor and David J Smith); 6) How fast is fast? Technology, trade and speed under sail in the Roman Red Sea (Julian Whitewright); 7) Warships in the Red Sea, An Outstanding Phenomenon (Sarah Arenson); 8) Features of Ships and Boats in the Indian Ocean (Norbert Weismann); 9) Decorative Motifs on Red Sea Boats: Meaning and Identity (Dionisius A. Agius); 10) The Red Sea Jalbah. Local Phenomenon or Regional Prototype? (James Edgar Taylor); 11) Charting a Hazardous Sea (Sarah Searight); Red Sea Harbours, Hinterlands and Relationships in Preclassical Antiquity (Kenneth A. Kitchen); 12) Sea port to punt: new evidence from Marsa Gawasis, Red Sea (Egypt) (Kathryn A. Bard, Rodolfo Fattovich and Cheryl Ward); 13) The Arabaegypti Ichthyophagi: Cultural Connections with Egypt and the Maintenance of Identity (Ross Iain Thomas); 14) Aila and Clysma: The Rise of Northern Ports in the Red Sea in Late Antiquity (Walter Ward); 15) Shipwrecks, Coffee and Canals: the Landscapes of Suez (Janet Starkey); 16) What is the Evidence for External Trading Contacts on the East African coast in the first millennium bc? (Paul J.J. Sinclair); 17) The 'Arabians' of pre-Islamic Egypt (Tim Power); 18) Red Sea and Indian Ocean: Ports and their Hinterland (Eivind Heldaas Seland); 19) Bishops and Traders: The Role of Christianity in the Indian Ocean during the Roman Period (Roberta Tomber); 20) Arabic Sources for the Ming Voyages (Paul Lunde); 21) From the White Sea to the Red Sea: Piri Reis and the Ottoman conquest of Egypt (Paul Starkey).
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A road runs north-south a short distance form the Red Sea coast from Abu Durrag and Suez in the north east of Egypt to Sawakin in north-east Sudan . Sir John Gardner Wilkinson travelled along the coast rfom al-Qusayr to Berenike in 1826.... more
A road runs north-south a short distance form the Red Sea coast from Abu Durrag and Suez in the north east of Egypt to Sawakin in north-east Sudan . Sir John Gardner Wilkinson travelled along the coast rfom al-Qusayr to Berenike in 1826. Other European and Arab travellers have taken this route for a variety of reasons, including Christian and Muslim pilgrims, nomads, traders, explorers, miners and tourists. They variously provided a vocabulary of shifting places along the Red Sea littoral alongside the 'placelessness' of the Sea. pp75-86. BAR International series 1395. ISBN 1 84171 833 5
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Who went t the deserts of teh Atbai? Desert tavellers endured harsh terrains for long distances, inadequate water supplies and provisions, with extreme weather conditions. Travellers accounts are used in this paper to build up an... more
Who went t the deserts of teh Atbai? Desert tavellers endured harsh terrains for long distances, inadequate water supplies and provisions, with extreme weather conditions. Travellers accounts are used in this paper to build up an ethno-historical picture of the 'Ababda and Bisharin of the Atbai, the Eastern Desert east of Aswan and in north-east Sudan. pages 25-43 in the attached document
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Alexander Russell, M.D. (1715?–1768), with the Levant Company in Aleppo between 1740 and 1753, wrote The Natural History of Aleppo (1756); the 1794 edition was edited by his half-brother, Patrick Russell, M.D. (1726–1805). In the two... more
Alexander Russell, M.D. (1715?–1768), with the Levant Company in Aleppo between 1740 and 1753, wrote The Natural History of Aleppo (1756); the 1794 edition was edited by his half-brother, Patrick Russell, M.D. (1726–1805). In the two editions these Scottish doctors enthusiastically describe Aleppo’s opulent and orderly world. An abbreviated version, A Description of Aleppo and the Adjacent Parts (c. 1757), presumably for popular consumption, presents some of Alexander’s observations. By exploring this description, traditionally placed within the Natural Scientific tradition of the eighteenth century, the aim of the essay is to explore concepts across the academic divide between history and anthropology.
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Illness was almost inevitable accompaniment to travel before improved systems of sanitation and commonly available immunisation programmes. Yet even today we struggle with new Pandemics for which protection has yet to be discovered. The... more
Illness was almost inevitable accompaniment to travel before improved systems of sanitation and commonly available immunisation programmes. Yet even today we struggle with new Pandemics for which protection has yet to be discovered. The causes, effects and possible remedies for one of the most feared group of diseases, the plagues, in the 17th and 18th century Ottoman Empire are outlined in this paper when the only effective prophylactic against plague was to leave the location of the epidemic. An understanding of the contagious nature of epidemic diseases resulted in the establishment of lazarettos in which potentially infectious people were quarantined, lest they carried illness to uninfected areas.
Chapter 9 in Saddling the Dogs edited by Diane Fortenberry and Deborah Manley (eds), Oxford: Oxbow. See also https://www.amazon.com/Saddling-Dogs-Journeys-Through-Publications/dp/1842173677
ISBN-10: 1842173677 ISBN-13: 978-1842173671
Chapter 9 in Saddling the Dogs edited by Diane Fortenberry and Deborah Manley (eds), Oxford: Oxbow. See also https://www.amazon.com/Saddling-Dogs-Journeys-Through-Publications/dp/1842173677
ISBN-10: 1842173677 ISBN-13: 978-1842173671
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This paper dissects travel writings linked to the landscapes and seascapes of the northern Red Sea and specifically on those surrounding the harbour town of Suez. The pivotal position of the town with all its multicultural and commercial... more
This paper dissects travel writings linked to the landscapes and seascapes of the northern Red Sea and specifically on those surrounding the harbour town of Suez. The pivotal position of the town with all its multicultural and commercial connections is more complicated than any simplistic East-West dialogue. pages 173-184 in Janet Starkey, Paul Starkey & Tony Wilkinson (eds), Natural Resources and Cultural Connections of the Red Sea. Society of Arabian Studies Monographs no. 5. BAR International Series 1661. ISBN 978 1 4073 0097 9.
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Along the Red Sea littoral European travels (Jean-Louis Burckhardt, Frederic Cailliaud, Giovanni Belzoni, Sir John Garnder Wilkinson, Georg Schweinfurth etc) were intertwined with those of Beja nomads especially the Ababdah and Bisharin... more
Along the Red Sea littoral European travels (Jean-Louis Burckhardt, Frederic Cailliaud, Giovanni Belzoni, Sir John Garnder Wilkinson, Georg Schweinfurth etc) were intertwined with those of Beja nomads especially the Ababdah and Bisharin and with Christian and Muslim pilgrims along the Red Sea. pp.75-86 .Society for Arabian Studis Monographs no. 3. ISBN 1841718335. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2005. BAR 1395
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Author of an introduction to a series of papers in Lloyd Weeks (ed.), . (Society for Arabian Studies Monographs 10). Oxford: Archaeopress (BAR S2107), 2010. ISBN 9781407306483. £55.00. 299-302. BAR S2107, Society for Arabian Studies... more
Author of an introduction to a series of papers in Lloyd Weeks (ed.), . (Society for Arabian Studies Monographs 10). Oxford: Archaeopress (BAR S2107), 2010. ISBN 9781407306483. £55.00. 299-302. BAR S2107, Society for Arabian Studies Monograph 10,
Revised papers from a conference held on 27-29 November 2008 in the British Museum organised to highlight the richness of death and burial traditions in Arabia, both ancient and modern, and to bring together researchers addressing this fundamental aspect of past and present societies in the region. Papers were presented from fields as diverse as archaeology, physical anthropology, ethnography, epigraphy, art history and poetry. The introduction indicates that death and burial traditions are of relevance to understanding much wider aspects of contemporary Arabian societies.
Revised papers from a conference held on 27-29 November 2008 in the British Museum organised to highlight the richness of death and burial traditions in Arabia, both ancient and modern, and to bring together researchers addressing this fundamental aspect of past and present societies in the region. Papers were presented from fields as diverse as archaeology, physical anthropology, ethnography, epigraphy, art history and poetry. The introduction indicates that death and burial traditions are of relevance to understanding much wider aspects of contemporary Arabian societies.
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his chapter examines the Khan al-Jumruk (‘Customs Khan’) and its place within the social space of the Aleppo commercial center, exploring the many-faceted spatial relationships and the synergy between the Khān al-Jumruk and the... more
his chapter examines the Khan al-Jumruk (‘Customs Khan’) and its place within the social space of the Aleppo commercial center, exploring the many-faceted spatial relationships and the synergy between the Khān al-Jumruk and the surrounding bazaars of the World Heritage site, the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. The khan was built in 1574 as part of a larger complex that included a qaysāriyyaa nd two sūqs. Typically it has a central interior courtyard with commercial enterprises on the ground floor and larger rooms and accommodation for traveling merchants on the first floor. It is also near other khans and caravanserais and is on a key route through the bazaar towards the citadel, which dominates the city and overshadows the bazaars.
Chapter 5 in The Bazaar in the Islamic City: Design, Culture, and History edited by
Mohammad Gharipour. Print ISBN-13: 9789774165290; Published to Cairo Scholarship Online: January 2013. DOI: 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.001.0001; chapter is 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.003.0005
Chapter 5 in The Bazaar in the Islamic City: Design, Culture, and History edited by
Mohammad Gharipour. Print ISBN-13: 9789774165290; Published to Cairo Scholarship Online: January 2013. DOI: 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.001.0001; chapter is 10.5743/cairo/9789774165290.003.0005
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The Preface to the volume was written as a dedication to Edward W. Said. By contextualizing the various papers in the volume the Preface explores the often uneasy relationship between traditional disciplines history and anthropology;... more
The Preface to the volume was written as a dedication to Edward W. Said. By contextualizing the various papers in the volume the Preface explores the often uneasy relationship between traditional disciplines history and anthropology; aspects of observation and participation; narrative; otherness and Orientalism.
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The chapter explores travellers' descriptions pf desert dwellers around Saint Anthony's Monastery, Eastern desert of Egypt in order to identify the multiple relationships between nomads and monks; It explores the imagined desolate deserts... more
The chapter explores travellers' descriptions pf desert dwellers around Saint Anthony's Monastery, Eastern desert of Egypt in order to identify the multiple relationships between nomads and monks; It explores the imagined desolate deserts and the mobility of desert life and its inhabitants. For further information about this book go to <https://ucla.academia.edu/CotsenPress> and also visit The Cotsen Institute Press https://escholarship.org/uc/cioa
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During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James... more
During the late 1770s to the early 1780s, several East India Company officers based in Madras travelled across the Middle East, including the Scottish hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple FRS (1737–1808) appointed in 1759; Colonel James Capper (1743–1825), from Londonderry, appointed in 1773 (Fig.8.2); and Eyles Irwin (?1751–1817), an Irish
poet born in Calcutta, and appointed in 1767 (Fig.8.3 and Fig 8.5).
Traditionally, there were two major routes for travel between England and
India: one via the Cape of Good Hope, a journey that took at least six months; and another overland via Antioch to Aleppo and across the Great Syrian Desert to Basra, then by ship to Bombay.
A further option between India and England was explored in the mid-18th
century: up the Red Sea to Suez, across the Eastern Desert to Cairo, along the Nile to Rosetta and then Alexandria to catch a boat heading for Europe.
poet born in Calcutta, and appointed in 1767 (Fig.8.3 and Fig 8.5).
Traditionally, there were two major routes for travel between England and
India: one via the Cape of Good Hope, a journey that took at least six months; and another overland via Antioch to Aleppo and across the Great Syrian Desert to Basra, then by ship to Bombay.
A further option between India and England was explored in the mid-18th
century: up the Red Sea to Suez, across the Eastern Desert to Cairo, along the Nile to Rosetta and then Alexandria to catch a boat heading for Europe.
Research Interests:
Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie... more
Among the earliest collections of plant specimens in the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) were those given to John Hope, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden from 1761 to 1786, by Adam Freer MD of Essendie (1747–1811); at least thirty-six specimens still survive there. Freer had collected these plants at the behest of another Scot, Patrick Russell MD FRS (1726/7–1805). Freer had succeeded Patrick as physician-surgeon to the Levant Company Factory in Aleppo in 1772 and worked there until March 1781, then crossed the Syrian Desert to India. Patrick worked in Aleppo from 1750 to 1772 and in turn, replaced his half-brother, Alexander Russell MD FRS LRCP (1714–1768) who served in the same post from 1740 to 1754 (Starkey 2018). They all trained at Edinburgh Medical School, knew John Hope well, and studied the natural history around Aleppo, collecting plants and seeds.
Alexander Russell published The Natural History of Aleppo in 1756 and Patrick published a completely rewritten edition in 1794, hereinafter called Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 respectively. Eighteenth-century European readers were fascinated by the curious flora and fauna, by exotic and delightful landscapes — inspired by the Arabian Nights — so it is not surprising to find that the two editions of The Natural History of Aleppo reflect the Enlightenment motifs of good taste, and the elegance and beauty of Aleppine gardens. Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 are full of details about birds, animals (domesticated and wild), trees, and flowers. The chapter will also reflect on the impact of Freer’s botanical legacy on Aleppo2 and comment on flora they collected and described and plants they brought back from the Ottoman Empire, before outlining the impact of the Linnaean revolution that transformed Aleppo1 into Aleppo2.
Alexander Russell published The Natural History of Aleppo in 1756 and Patrick published a completely rewritten edition in 1794, hereinafter called Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 respectively. Eighteenth-century European readers were fascinated by the curious flora and fauna, by exotic and delightful landscapes — inspired by the Arabian Nights — so it is not surprising to find that the two editions of The Natural History of Aleppo reflect the Enlightenment motifs of good taste, and the elegance and beauty of Aleppine gardens. Aleppo1 and Aleppo2 are full of details about birds, animals (domesticated and wild), trees, and flowers. The chapter will also reflect on the impact of Freer’s botanical legacy on Aleppo2 and comment on flora they collected and described and plants they brought back from the Ottoman Empire, before outlining the impact of the Linnaean revolution that transformed Aleppo1 into Aleppo2.
Research Interests:
Introductory essay to the first in a series of three containing papers developed from the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE) 1999 Cambridge conference. It deals with a variety of desert travellers... more
Introductory essay to the first in a series of three containing papers developed from the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE) 1999 Cambridge conference. It deals with a variety of desert travellers covering an enormous timespan, from the classical writer Herodotus to the twentieth-century adventurer T.E. Lawrence. It provides an introduction to an array of papers on a complex set of political, literary and cultural issues. pp. xi-xxix
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Based on travellers' records this paper builds up a picture of the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the Sudan with its gold and emerald mines and its 'Ababda and Bisharin tribes. This approach provides an opportunity not only to study the... more
Based on travellers' records this paper builds up a picture of the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the Sudan with its gold and emerald mines and its 'Ababda and Bisharin tribes. This approach provides an opportunity not only to study the ethnography of the region but also to explore the application of concepts of Other/Self and Orientalism in a marginal community. pages 183-204. Published by ASTENE. ISBN 0 9539700 0 0
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The volume comprises a varied collection of seventeen papers presented at the biennial conference of the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE) held in York in July 2019, which together will provide the... more
The volume comprises a varied collection of seventeen papers presented at the biennial conference of the Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE) held in York in July 2019, which together will provide the reader with a fascinating introduction to travel in and to te Middle East over more than a thousand years.
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Editor of 15 papers from Phase II of Red Sea Project held in the British Museum October 2004, representing a wide-ranging historical sequence, from the New Kingdom peoples to current semantics. The theme is trade, travel and exchange... more
Editor of 15 papers from Phase II of Red Sea Project held in the British Museum October 2004, representing a wide-ranging historical sequence, from the New Kingdom peoples to current semantics. The theme is trade, travel and exchange between the peoples on both sides of the Red Sea. Illustrated throughout; the initial six papers focus on the Pharaonic and classical periods. 180 pp, Includes 35 figures, plans, drawings and photographs, 7 maps, 7 tables, Index. ISBN: 9781841718330. BAR number: S1395
Sub-series name: British Foundation for the Study of Arabia Monographs (formerly Society for Arabian Studies Monographs
Sub-series name: British Foundation for the Study of Arabia Monographs (formerly Society for Arabian Studies Monographs
Research Interests:
Chapter 8 of Janet Starkey, The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad: The Russells of Braidshaw in Aleppo and on the Coast of Coromandel (Brill 2018) is now on open access during the CV19 Pandemic. This is particularly relevant at the moment as... more
Chapter 8 of Janet Starkey, The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad: The Russells of Braidshaw in Aleppo and on the Coast of Coromandel (Brill 2018) is now on open access during the CV19 Pandemic. This is particularly relevant at the moment as it discusses how physicians in Aleppo in the eighteenth century dealt with epidemics. Though they dealt with different pathogens from cv19 they faced so many of the same dilemmas. Sections in the chapter include approaches to epidemic diseases, precautions and treatments; shutting up i.e. isolating, and policing during epidemics, the work of the Privy Council Advisory Committees, the use of medical statistics and weather observations and so on.
An exploration of the long culinary history of North-East oScotland through the prism of a booklet of surprisingly cosmopolitan recipes, The Huntly Cookery Book produced in 1913 to raise funds for the Huntly Town Band just before First... more
An exploration of the long culinary history of North-East oScotland through the prism of a booklet of surprisingly cosmopolitan recipes, The Huntly Cookery Book produced in 1913 to raise funds for the Huntly Town Band just before First World War broke out. Though the second part includes these recipes with a modern commentary, the first part of the book provides a multistranded account of the social history of Strathbogie, the traditional name for Huntly, as it embraces notions of hospitality, hamewith and identity; hierarchies of landed gentry, the kirk, tenant farmers — community and kinship; entertainments, aeroplanes and suf
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
n The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad, Janet Starkey examines the lives and works of Scots working in the mid eighteenth century with the Levant Company in Aleppo, then within the Ottoman Empire; and those working with the East India... more
n The Scottish Enlightenment Abroad, Janet Starkey examines the lives and works of Scots working in the mid eighteenth century with the Levant Company in Aleppo, then within the Ottoman Empire; and those working with the East India Company in India, especially in the fields of natural history, medicine, ethnography and the collection of Arabic and Persian manuscripts. The focus is on brothers from Edinburgh: Alexander Russell MD FRS, Patrick Russell MD FRS, Claud Russell and William Russell FRS.
By examining a wide range of modern interpretations, Starkey argues that the Scottish Enlightenment was not just a philosophical discourse but a multi-faceted cultural revolution that owed its vibrancy to ties of kinship, and to strong commercial and intellectual links with Europe and further abroad.
By examining a wide range of modern interpretations, Starkey argues that the Scottish Enlightenment was not just a philosophical discourse but a multi-faceted cultural revolution that owed its vibrancy to ties of kinship, and to strong commercial and intellectual links with Europe and further abroad.
Research Interests:
This splendidly illustrated book focuses on the botanical legacy of many parts of the former Ottoman Empire -- including present-day Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, and the Arabian Peninsula -- as seen and described by travellers... more
This splendidly illustrated book focuses on the botanical legacy of many parts of the former Ottoman Empire -- including present-day Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, and the Arabian Peninsula -- as seen and described by travellers both from within and from outside the region. The papers cover a wide variety of subjects, including Ottoman garden design and architecture, the flora of the region, especially bulbs and their cultural significance, literary, pictorial and photographic depictions of the botany and horticulture of the Ottoman lands, floral and related motifs in Ottoman art, culinary and medicinal aspects of the botanical heritage, and efforts related to conservation.