[2][3] This was shortly after the death of Sir Walter Scott (in September 1832), whose residence of Abbotsford House gave the society its name, and whose literature the club's publications sought to illuminate.
The founder and first secretary of the club was William Barclay Turnbull, a young Edinburgh lawyer.
The stated objective of the Abbotsford Club was "the printing of Miscellaneous Pieces, illustrative of History, Literature, and Antiquities".
[1] Through its publishing activity, the club did much to promote the proliferation of Middle English literature.
[5] The complete publications of the Abbotsford Club are available online from the National Library of Scotland.