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Aabc is a hornbook - a leaf of paper mounted in board and covered with a transparent sheet of cattle horn to protect it. Hornbooks contained the alphabet, simple spelling, numbers, and the Lord’s Prayer. They were popular until the 18th century for teaching children reading and writing.

About the printer

Edward Raban set up the first printing press in Aberdeen in 1622. He was an Englishman of German descent, and had learnt his trade in Leyden in the Low Countries.

In 1620 he was appointed printer to St Andrews University, but in 1622 he moved to Aberdeen. We know that eight works came from his press that year. Five items dated 1622 with a St Andrews imprint also bear his name. (An imprint is usually on the title page, and indicates who is responsible for producing the item.)