Copyright Granddaughter of Isabella Ewing (Moore)

[BW252]

I am trying to trace the granddaughterof the above born in 1949 to Ernest George Reed WAITT and Marion Tennant SMILLIE   I have letters from her grandmother Isabella Ewing (Moore) from Jedburgh (the letters are written in the vernacular) which I am trying to give copies of to Glasgow University.   They were sent to my grandparents.   Before the University can accept them their is the matter of copywright.   I have had no success so far in being able to trace this granddaughter.    Any help would be much appreciated

I have checked both Scotlands people and BMDs for marriage and death with no results

[rosie99]

We are not allowed to post names and details of anyone who is possibly living, you will need to remove them from your post /heading

Have you checked Scotlands people for a possible marriage

[BW252]

Rosie thank you.   I have amended my post to delete the name

[CaroleW]

Longshot - mother died 1982 & father 1992.  If Ernest left a will there may be a mention of daughter

[Forfarian]

I don't understand why the university would cite copyright as a reason for not accepting letters. It would certainly be a reason for not publishing them, but not for just keeping them safe and making them available for interested people to consult.

[CaroleW]

Just to add to Forfarian's reply - if the letters were written over 70yrs ago - wouldn't they be out of copyright?

[Forfarian]

Just to add to Forfarian's reply - if the letters were written over 70yrs ago - wouldn't they be out of copyright?

It's the date of the writer's death that determines copyright, not the date when anything was written.

Ernest George Reed Waitt, mother's maiden surname Ewing, was born in Jedburgh in 1924 and died in 1992. Ernest Reed Waitt married Isabella Moore Ewing in Jedburgh in 1924.

Isabella Moore Ewing or Waitt, mother's maiden surname Moore, died in Melrose in 1984. She would have been grandmother to the person born in 1949, so she was plainly alive much less than 70 years ago, and anything she had written would still be in copyright.

Isabella Moore or Ewing died in Glasgow in 1924, aged 72. She would have been the 1949 child's great-grandmother, and any letters written by her would be well out of copyright by now.

So I think you need to clarify whether The Isabella Ewing (Moore) you are talking about was the 1949 person's grandmother or great-grandmother.

[Andy J2022]

For the OP, UK copyright law says that unless there is an express provision to the contrary in the author's will, copyright passes along with the physical article (such as these letters) when they are bequeathed or otherwise pass by the law of inheritance to someone else (see section 93 Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988). Since you appear to be the owner of the letters, you are also the copyright owner and can decide whether or not they may be published. Although Scottish law on inheritance differs from that of England and Wales, this provision regarding copyright applies equally throughout the UK. And as Forfarian said, copyright does not prevent the University from accepting possession of the letters, and they could even be displayed if necessary without infringing copyright.   

[BW252]

Thank you all very much for your replies.    I will now get back to Glasgow University

thanks again

Harry