XLIX. Dr. Alexander Ross, by his latter will and testament, bequeaths to the Council, inter alia, the sum of £200 sterling, for the maintenance of two bursars (intimated in a letter from his Brother William Ross to the Magistrates). 21st February, 1653.* Honored Sirs; Nature doeth so obleidge me that I can not schow too much respect to the place wher I suck't my first breath But rather endeavor to performe what duetie I owe to my native soyle Especiallie in regaird of this occasione I execute the will of my deceist brother for which I have stayed heere purposlie from goeing to my intended journay to France vntill I saw the sattisfaction of what you sould have to be setled according to the testament of my said brother deceased And as your vnited togither as worthie magistrats of so famous and noble a citie So I mak no doubt but your caire will be much for the setling of the same to be furthcumeing and standing as by precedent of others in the same nature for which I have heere set doun the verie words of the Testament as yow have desyred in your letter to me That is I bequeath. to the Senat of Aberdeine tua hundreth pounds sterling money to remayne for ever towards the mantenance of tua poore schollars by the use of the said money which tua poore schoollars sall be borne in the toune and instructed in the grammer schooll of that toun and then advanced to ther new colledge Who after they have atteined to ther degree of master of airt They sall give place to vther tua * "Academiae nostrae Benefactoribus annumerari meruit, ALEXANDER ROSSE, S. Theologiae Doctor; qui doctrinâ et scriptis, non majus apud Nostrates, quàm Exteros inclaruit; patrimonii, optimis, apud Anglos artibus comparati; partem piis in Patria destinavit usibus; et præter mille et octingentas mercas, Ptochodochio Abredonensi donatas; duobus in Academia hac, Philosophiae studiosis, ter mille et sexcentas mercas erogavit: A nobis etsi loco dissitus, animi tamen affectu conjunctissimus" (Smith's Oratio, p. 27). This voluminous writer is immortalised in the couplet of Hudibras :— "There was an ancient sage philosopher That had read Alexander Ross over ". Some account of his life, and of his upwards of thirty works, will be found in Chambers' Scottish Biography and in Bruce's Eminent Men of Aberdeen, 1841. The date of the will is given by Chambers from Sibbald's MSS. The arms attributed to Dr. Ross on the Heraldic Ceiling were, Or, a chevron between three water bougets sable. So on the "broad". The bougets pertain to the Kilravock Rosses. schollars which sall be chosen by the magistrats abouesaid Item I bequeathe to the said Senate fiftie pounds sterling money to continue for ever towards the maintenance of tua poore men in ther hospital by the vse of the said money These are the verie words signified in the will And if leasure could have permitted I would have sent you a copie of the wholl But thinking this would suffise I onlie set some vther particulars My deceas'd Brother hath ordayned also to the vniversities of Oxfoord and Cambridg South-hamptone and the I'le of Wight He hath left to the vniversities ther liberaries Oxfoord and Cambrige Fiftie Pounds Sterling a peice To the toune of Southhamptoune fiftie pounds to remayne for ever that the vse therof may be yeerlie payed for the mantenance of the schoolmaster Item to the same toune and corporatione fiftie pounds more to remayne for ewer that the vse thereof may be payed yeerlie to the poore housholders of al Saints parisch on Chist tide eve the 24 of December And that a Sermone of this text be preached by the minister of the parisch that same day Blessed be the poore in spirit for which he shall have IOS out of the said vse money My Brother hath left to diverse of his freinds in Legacies to the number of 60 or 80 pounds to some tuentie pounds to vthers threittie pounds to some ten to vthers fyve to some less to some more So it is that ther is a greatt deall to be givin Amongst others he hes given to my Cusigne Marione Rose of Aberdeine fiftie pounds Sterling her husband's name is Thomas Mitchell to whome I have written diverse tymes of purpose to send me her acquittance and I sall give order to pay her but cannot heere from her although I have written to Master Robert Paitrie for the same effect for schee is to blame in being so neglectful for I'me verie cairfull of hir and would have hir payed speedilie Thus farr I thought good to informe you of the particular the generall whereof I did schow at large the whole Will and Testament to some of your Colledge who was heere in toune this last summer One of thes was named Mr Me named Master Jaffray Never may be takin in tyme for th which I haue stay'd a long into France Therfore I and vther as I remember was Iwisch some speedie course nt and setling the same for and now is to goe suddenlie ou all most honored Sirs to appoynt some honest and sufficient man in quhom you may confide to receave that which my brother hath left And that it may be punctuallie laid out for the same vse for now 'tis high tymye the yeere is almost expyred which is at the latter ende of Februar or the beginning of March. The Gentleman's name who is joyn'd executor with my Brother George and me is Maister Andrew Henlye of Bramshille esqueir hee's a man of vaste estaite whose house is the greatest in England named Bramshill house distant from Londoune westward neere Hartfoorbrige threttie myles His father remaynes heere in Londoune harde by syde Tempill barre So that if I sould not be in toune when anie commissione comes frome you Your commissioner sall either finde him heere or at his house at Bramshill which is the best notice I can inform yow Hee's a verie wittie subtile man and as warrie as hee's riche So that those that's to deal with him hath neede to be circumspect and wise He hath purposed with me when I haue beene earnest for to dispatch this bussiness of Aberdein to haue sufficient securitie of landed men to be responsall for the tua hundreth and feftie punds For which I wrote to Mr Robert Petrie Making no doubt but that hee's acquainted yow therewith long ere now As for the forme of the discharge or acquittance of the soume that's to be receaived Those that doeth receave the same may give that to our contentment The payment of those moneys is in the powar of this gentleman Mr Henlye who can doe nothing without ws and wee without him My Brother George now being in Holland I'me for him and myself both So that there's none but Mr Henlye and me for the present and hath beene all this whill bygone But if I goe as I intende to France then hee to be all alone This is the full ansueire in particular of your letter Wishing I had as much powar as good will to doe that service as I would to the toune and Magistrats of Aberdeine Assureing you all that thers none that evir was borne in that toune that's more affectionat everie way for the honor weell and prosperity of Aberdene then he who is most Honored Sirs Your verie loveing freind and humble Servant So subscryves W Ros From a Copy entered in The Book of the Mortificationes of the burgh off aberdein, Vol. i., p. 78.* * See an "Act and commissioun be the Counsell to John forbes for receaving at Londoun 250 [sic] lib sterlin left be Dor Ross" of date 8th October, 1656, in the Town Council Register, liii. 505. The earliest entry in the Town's Accounts relative to Dr. Ross' Mortification is as follows:"CHARGE of the moneys mortified be Doctor Alexr Ross Doctor of Divinitie which wes tuo hundredth pound sterlin left be him in legacie in anno 165 yeirs to the toune of Abd for mantenance of tuo bursers in the new colledg of the said burghe Imprimis the compter charges himselff with the sowme of tuo thousand and four hundredth punds Scotts money which wes the moneys left be the sd Doctor Ross and receavit befor Mertimes 1656 Item with ane hundreth fourtie four poundis Scotts as ane yeirs annvell of the sds moneys qch wes peyit be the executors of the sd deceast Dr Ross togidder with the sowme 2400 O 144 O O Summa of the charge is tuo thousand fyve hundreth fourtie four pund DISCHARGE. Imprimis the compter discharges himself of tuo thousand and four hundreth Item to William Thomsoun student be order of the Counsell Summa of the discharge is The charge being 2400 O O 32 14 5 30 O ΙΟ tuo thousand fyve hundreth thrie scor tuelff pund fourtein sh fyve d tuo thousand fyve hundreth fourtie four lib So rests payable be the Compter thrie scor eleven pund fyve sh sevin d" At the Union of the Universities in 1860 the Account stood thus: Under the Provisional Order of 1881, there will in future be one Ross bursar receiving £20 per annum. L. The Lord Protector confirms the grant to the University of Aberdeen of the revenues of the late Bishopric, and adds a further endowment of 200 merks sterling annually from the Customs of Aberdeen. 1654. 8th August, HIS Highnes the Lord Protector taking into consideration the great Advantage which may redound to the People of this Commonwealth, inhabiting in Scotland, That the Universities there should receive both Countenance and Encouragement, and be provided for with Competent Maintenance for the members of the said Universities, for the better training up of Youth in Piety and good Literature; Doth Ordain, and be it Ordained by his Highness by and with the consent of his Council,* that the Superiorities of the Lands belonging to the late Bishoprick of Aberdeen, that is to say, The Superiorities of the Lands of Aberdeen, formerly called the Barony of Aberdeen, of the Lands of Murthil, Fetterner, Clet, Tallienessel, Daviot, Reine, and Birse, all lying within the Sheriffedome of Aberdeen; As also the lands of Fordice and Murtlawh, lying within the Sheriffedome of Bamff, together with the Superiority of the Acres of Old-Aberdeen, and of all other Lands, Tenements, Houses, with the Appurtenances formerly belonging to the said Bishoprick of Aberdeen, the Few-Farms, Few-Duties, Kains, Customs, Casualties, Teinds, Parsonage and Vicarage, Teind-Duties, and all other Duties of the Lands, Churches, and Parishes aforesaid; together with all other Duties of the Church of Maucher and Nicholas, and of all other Kirks and Parishes which formerly belonged to the said Bishoprick; together with the Tenths of the Salmon-Fishing, and other Fishings upon the Waters of Dee and Don, or on the Sea, or any other places formerly belonging to the said Bishoprick, together with the whole Fruits, Teinds, Church-Rents, and other Duties any way belonging to the Temporality or Spirituality of the said Bishoprick be given, granted, doted, and mortified to the said University of Aberdeen, the Principals, Professors, Regents, and remanent Members thereof, and their Successors for ever, in manner following, that is to *The part relative to the University of Glasgow is printed in Munimenta Universi tatis Glasgaensis, Vol. i., p. 321. |