Raban Redux: A Re-evaluation of the Life and Connections of Edward Raban

The art of printing came to Aberdeen in 1622 with the arrival of Edward Raban, a journeyman printer. Within months he was appointed Unversitatis Typrographus followed quickly by appointment as Urbis Typographus. He played a prominent role in both economic and cultural life of the city for the next twenty-five years. This article is based on research conducted as part of the four hundredth anniversary of Raban’s arrival in Aberdeen. Previous scholars of bibliographic and print history have examined aspects of Raban’s life and established a narrative that he first came to Scotland in 1620. Through interrogation of Old Parish Registers and other genealogical sources, this narrative can now be disproved, and the article demonstrates that Edward Raban was domiciled in Scotland as early as 1616. It also explores other aspects of Raban’s familial connections, particularly his son Édouard Raban, printer in Orange. It also suggests further avenues for research around Raban’s putative involvement with what is commonly called the Pilgrim Press in Leiden.