Thomas Ryburn Buchanan (1846-1911)

(1846-1911), Member of Parliament and bibliophile

In 1941 Mrs Emily Buchanan presented to the University Library 116 volumes from her late husband's collection as a memorial of his association with Edinburgh as MP for Edinburgh 1881-1885 and for West Edinburgh 1885-1892. Thomas Buchanan was born in Glasgow and educated at Sherborne School and Balliol College, Oxford, afterwards being elected a Fellow of All Souls. Called to the English Bar he began contesting Parliamentary seats (as a Liberal) at Haddington in 1880. He eventually sat for Edinburgh 1881-1885, then for West Edinburgh 1885-1892, and then Aberdeenshire East 1892-1900. He was Financial Secretary in the War Office from 1906 to 1908, and Under-Secretary of Sate in the India Office 1908-1909.

His books include interesting examples of early printing, of illustration, and of fine binding, some of which had been bound for earlier well-known collectors in France and elsewhere.