William Ogilvie’s
BIRTHRIGHT
in
LAND
Honour
thy father and
thy mother that thy
days may be long upon
the LAND
which the Lord thy God
giveth thee -
BIRTHRIGHT
TENURE!
LONDON
Othila Press
1997
Birthright in Land published in this form by Othila Press, 58a Abingdon Road, London, W8 6AP, England.
© Land Reform Scotland 1997
The texts, particularly the Forenotes, some of the editors’ notes, and the use of some quotations, draw on the work of previous unpublished Scottish Ogilvie Society editions of Birthright in Land. Foreword: Scotland and the Land Question © Roger Sandilands 1996. Introduction: Our Birthright in Land © Peter Gibb 1997. MacDonald’s Preface, by DC MacDonald, first published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Ltd., London, in 1891, as part of Birthright in Land: this edition by George Morton 1997. An Essay on the Right of Property in Land, &c., by William Ogilvie, first printed for J Walter, Charing Cross, London, in 1782, and issued anonymously: this edition by Peter Gibb 1997. MacDonald’s Biographical Notes, by DC MacDonald, first published as Biographical Notes, with Side Issues, by the Editor, by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., London, in 1891, as part of Birthright in Land: this edition by George Morton 1997. The Rev. Maister Whatefer’s Chronicle of Strathconon, by DC MacDonald, first published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Ltd., London, in 1891, as part of Birthright in Land (within the Biographical Notes): this edition by Peter Gibb 1997. Afterword: The Global Green Tax? Community Ground Rent © Peter Gibb 1997.
All Rights Reserved
BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Ogilvie, William (1736-1819)
Birthright in Land
1. Popular Scottish Politics
2. Land Reform 3. Political Economy
I. Title II. Ogilvie, William, Birthright in Land, with Biographical Notes by DC MacDonald, 1891
III. Anonymous, An Essay on the Right of Property in Land, 1782
ISBN 1 901647 13 7
Book design, layout and production by Peter Gibb.
Cover photomontage by Peter van den Berg.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by MFP Design & Print, Manchester.
Paper is New World, 90 gsm., 100% recycled from printed waste and not rebleached, manufactured by the Silverton Mill, Hele, Devon, England.
Othila Press
acknowledges with gratitude
Shirley - Anne Hardy’s inspiration
in retrieving from undeserved obscurity
the seminal essay by William Ogilvie,
and also her work on DC MacDonald’s
Biographical Notes and associated texts.
The economic principles articulated
in the essay need to be re-evaluated
so that policies for reshaping
Scotland’s destiny are developed
on the basis of
enlightened wisdom.
The publisher is also grateful to
Sally Blewett, Graeme Curran, John Digney, Peter Gibb, Paul Gill,
Karen Grant, Fred Harrison, Ian Lambert, George Morton, Charlie Riddell,
JJ Robertson, Roger Sandilands, David Shields, Jane Shields, Ian Sillars,
John Stocks, Morag Stocks, Roger Ward, Suzi Ward,
Anthony Werner and Helen Young
for their assistance with this project.
This publication has been made possible by grants from the
Scottish Ogilvie Society and the Scottish League for Land Value Taxation.
To
four lovers of mankind
Robert Burns
Henry George
DC MacDonald
William Ogilvie