No Cover Image

Journal article 232 views 32 downloads

Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue

Laura Seymour Orcid Logo

Disability Studies Quarterly, Volume: 43, Issue: 2

Swansea University Author: Laura Seymour Orcid Logo

  • 70145.VoR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    Released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 license.

    Download (513.01KB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.18061/dsq.v43i2.8811

Abstract

This article re-evaluates the case of Hugh Blair of Borgue (1747-8) from the standpoint of neurodiversity pride. This case was brought by John Blair against his older brother the laird Hugh Blair of Borgue. John successfully argued that Hugh was an Idiot incapable of marriage. As a result, Hugh’s ma...

Full description

Published in: Disability Studies Quarterly
ISSN: 1041-5718 2159-8371
Published: The Ohio State University Libraries 2024
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70145
first_indexed 2025-08-08T15:43:51Z
last_indexed 2025-09-20T04:39:59Z
id cronfa70145
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-09-19T15:34:04.8877196</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>70145</id><entry>2025-08-08</entry><title>Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>fb6f465736a5119bed6a26683d05cd87</sid><ORCID>0009-0006-4432-4500</ORCID><firstname>Laura</firstname><surname>Seymour</surname><name>Laura Seymour</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-08-08</date><deptcode>CACS</deptcode><abstract>This article re-evaluates the case of Hugh Blair of Borgue (1747-8) from the standpoint of neurodiversity pride. This case was brought by John Blair against his older brother the laird Hugh Blair of Borgue. John successfully argued that Hugh was an Idiot incapable of marriage. As a result, Hugh&#x2019;s marriage to Nickie Mitchell was annulled and their children disinherited; John and his descendants now stood to inherit Hugh&#x2019;s estates. Some modern criticism has suggested that Hugh was autistic. During the court case, Hugh&#x2019;s life and way of behaving and communicating, were often painfully critiqued. Exploring an autistic reading of Hugh that emphasises his creativity and love of imitation, I argue that attempting to &#x201C;diagnose&#x201D; him with autism using modern diagnostic criteria can replicate some of the harsh judgements that the court made against him. I end by suggesting that, as Hugh loved to copy, we might spend some time in our lives imitating Hugh.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Disability Studies Quarterly</journal><volume>43</volume><journalNumber>2</journalNumber><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>The Ohio State University Libraries</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>1041-5718</issnPrint><issnElectronic>2159-8371</issnElectronic><keywords>Hugh Blair, eighteenth-century, neurodivergence, autism, marriage, Idiocy</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>3</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2024</publishedYear><publishedDate>2024-03-01</publishedDate><doi>10.18061/dsq.v43i2.8811</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Culture and Communications School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>CACS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm/><funders>John Fell Fund, University of Oxford</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-09-19T15:34:04.8877196</lastEdited><Created>2025-08-08T16:42:44.5663723</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Laura</firstname><surname>Seymour</surname><orcid>0009-0006-4432-4500</orcid><order>1</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>70145__35143__ad7d5dac8a6140648f8e37a06816d71c.pdf</filename><originalFilename>70145.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-09-19T15:29:49.6936579</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>525320</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>Released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 license.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-09-19T15:34:04.8877196 v2 70145 2025-08-08 Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue fb6f465736a5119bed6a26683d05cd87 0009-0006-4432-4500 Laura Seymour Laura Seymour true false 2025-08-08 CACS This article re-evaluates the case of Hugh Blair of Borgue (1747-8) from the standpoint of neurodiversity pride. This case was brought by John Blair against his older brother the laird Hugh Blair of Borgue. John successfully argued that Hugh was an Idiot incapable of marriage. As a result, Hugh’s marriage to Nickie Mitchell was annulled and their children disinherited; John and his descendants now stood to inherit Hugh’s estates. Some modern criticism has suggested that Hugh was autistic. During the court case, Hugh’s life and way of behaving and communicating, were often painfully critiqued. Exploring an autistic reading of Hugh that emphasises his creativity and love of imitation, I argue that attempting to “diagnose” him with autism using modern diagnostic criteria can replicate some of the harsh judgements that the court made against him. I end by suggesting that, as Hugh loved to copy, we might spend some time in our lives imitating Hugh. Journal Article Disability Studies Quarterly 43 2 The Ohio State University Libraries 1041-5718 2159-8371 Hugh Blair, eighteenth-century, neurodivergence, autism, marriage, Idiocy 1 3 2024 2024-03-01 10.18061/dsq.v43i2.8811 COLLEGE NANME Culture and Communications School COLLEGE CODE CACS Swansea University John Fell Fund, University of Oxford 2025-09-19T15:34:04.8877196 2025-08-08T16:42:44.5663723 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing Laura Seymour 0009-0006-4432-4500 1 70145__35143__ad7d5dac8a6140648f8e37a06816d71c.pdf 70145.VoR.pdf 2025-09-19T15:29:49.6936579 Output 525320 application/pdf Version of Record true Released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 license. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
title Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
spellingShingle Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
Laura Seymour
title_short Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
title_full Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
title_fullStr Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
title_full_unstemmed Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
title_sort Copying not Diagnosing: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue
author_id_str_mv fb6f465736a5119bed6a26683d05cd87
author_id_fullname_str_mv fb6f465736a5119bed6a26683d05cd87_***_Laura Seymour
author Laura Seymour
author2 Laura Seymour
format Journal article
container_title Disability Studies Quarterly
container_volume 43
container_issue 2
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 1041-5718
2159-8371
doi_str_mv 10.18061/dsq.v43i2.8811
publisher The Ohio State University Libraries
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This article re-evaluates the case of Hugh Blair of Borgue (1747-8) from the standpoint of neurodiversity pride. This case was brought by John Blair against his older brother the laird Hugh Blair of Borgue. John successfully argued that Hugh was an Idiot incapable of marriage. As a result, Hugh’s marriage to Nickie Mitchell was annulled and their children disinherited; John and his descendants now stood to inherit Hugh’s estates. Some modern criticism has suggested that Hugh was autistic. During the court case, Hugh’s life and way of behaving and communicating, were often painfully critiqued. Exploring an autistic reading of Hugh that emphasises his creativity and love of imitation, I argue that attempting to “diagnose” him with autism using modern diagnostic criteria can replicate some of the harsh judgements that the court made against him. I end by suggesting that, as Hugh loved to copy, we might spend some time in our lives imitating Hugh.
published_date 2024-03-01T05:30:05Z
_version_ 1851097985347223552
score 11.089386

Similar Items