Gideon Shaw was the owner of a bookshop on Parliament Close called ‘The Blue Bible’ 1670-1687.

A surprisingly substantial bookseller whose commercial relationships stretched beyond Edinburgh and whose family and business connections would continue to matter after his death.

“It began with Scotland looking westward toward Ulster. The movement had deep roots stretching back into the medieval period. Scottish warriors, merchants, churchmen, and settlers had crossed into Ireland for centuries, particularly along the northeastern coast. The sea routes between Galloway, Ayrshire, the Hebrides, and Ulster formed part of an interconnected maritime world where movement was common and identities often overlapped.”