Second report of the commissioners appointed by his Majesty William IV November 23rd 1836 and re-appointed by her Majesty Victoria I October 2d 1837 for visiting the Universities of King's College and Marischall College, Aberdeen / presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. Commission for Visiting the Universities of King's College and Marischal.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report of the commissioners appointed by his Majesty William IV November 23rd 1836 and re-appointed by her Majesty Victoria I October 2d 1837 for visiting the Universities of King's College and Marischall College, Aberdeen / presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    These lands, with another pendicle sold by the College, in 1793, for £200, were purchased, in 1642, by the Synod of Aberdeen, for the sum of £10,000 Scots, and mortified by the Synod to the Professor of Divinity. The Crown Charter following on the Deed of Mortification, is dated 12th March 1642, and bears that these lands were disponed to Mi*. Adam Barclay, Professor in Divinity in King's College, and to his successors in office pro sustentatione professoris divinitatis in dicta aca- demia omni tempore futuro. The following clause occurs in the Charter:— Scripts et evidentiae dictarum terrarum, et mortificatio earundem, custodientur et '* servabuntur in cista cartaria preedict academies et universitatis veteris Aberdo- nensis, ibidem remanen. Et omnibus quorum interest, pro ut de jure congruit patefiant, et antedicta academia seu universitas eadem scripta et evidentias exhi- bituree astringentur et tenebuntur, ita ut in professoris presentis et futuri—non sit nec erit potestate disponere, nec dilapidare dictum redditum pro eo et suis suc- cessoribus mortificatum. The Professor of Divinity continued to draw the rents for upwards of 100 years, but in the year 1753 the members of the College, including the Professor of Appendix, p. 21. Divinity, agreed to take the lands in feu at the rent payable at that time on the narrative, that it is most probable that the value of all lands will rise, so that in time the Society may be benefited thereby ; and that when the said lands of Glasgoego are improved and turned to corn, the multures thereof must accord- ingly increase. Authority was accordingly given to a Committee to conduct the transaction, unless the Society shall see cause to consult lawyers upon the powers of the Professor and Synod, which does not yet appear to be necessary. The result of this transaction, which appears to have been gone into with the consent of the Synod of Aberdeen for the time being, has been to transfer from the Chair of Divinity, to the Professors generally, an annual sum, which, according to the price of grain in 1832, amounted to £389. 6*. 6g?., contrary to the terms of the original grant by the Synod of Aberdeen in 1642. Spoon Money. In the charge of casual money-rent there is an entry of £14. 5s., as derived from half-a-crown of spoon money from each of 114 Bursars. Appendix, p. 95. From the Returns to the former Commission it appears that, by a College Minute of 16th August 1753, it was proposed, for the reasons there stated, that every Bursar, without exception, should pay £1. 10*. Scots annually to the procu- rator in name of a silver spoon, and that this money shall be applied to the discharging of the interest of the money laid out by the economist in purchasing utensils. There is no trace of any such account in the Returns, and the spoon- money now annually taken from the above mentioned Bursars is divided among the Principal and Professors as additional salary. Bishops' Rents. The next item in the charge of casual money-rent is £193. 6*. 8c?., derived from King William's Mortification out of the Bishop Rents. Of this sum, it appears from the discharge of money that £20 are paid to the Principal, £33. 6*. 8c?. to the Professor of Divinity, and £66. 13*. 4c?. to the Professor of Oriental languages. The balance of £73. 6*. 8c?. goes to increase the balance of the Procuration Fund, which is divided among the Principal and Professors. The right of the College to receive this sum from the Bishop Rents is derived from grants or charters by King William, of the following dates,—8th February 1693, 29th April 1695, 1st March 1698, and 30th November 1699. By the first of these grants a sum of £1,200 sterling was mortified to the Colleges of Scotland ; by the second the sum of £300 was declared to be the proper proportion falling to the University of Aberdeen ; and it was appointed to be applied as follows, viz., £40 for the support of two Bursars of Theology, and the remainder of the £300 pro soke* tione debitorum dictce universitatis. After the debts should have been paid, £100 of this sum was appointed to be applied for the support and provision of another Professor of Divinity, and the remaining £160 for the support of eight additional Bursars in Theology. By the deed of 1st of March 1698, the destination of the £100, as above, to an additional Professor of Divinity was recalled, and in place thereof it was appointed that £33. 6*. 8c?. of that sum be added to the yearly salary of Mr. Charles Gordon, present Professor of Divinity at Aberdeen, and his successors in office; and the remaining sum of £66. 13*. 4c?. thereof be settled on Mr. George Gordon (to whom we have granted a presentation to be Professor of the Oriental languages of the foresaid University of Aberdeen), and that as a yearly fee and salary to him for teaching and professing the said languages. By the Appendix, p. 270. (]ee<i 0f 30th November 1699, winch narrates the three grants above mentioned, it