XCVI. Gilbert Ramsay, Barbados, by his last will and testament, bequeaths £4800 sterling for the endowment of a Chair of Oriental Languages and the support of bursars in Divinity and Arts. 21st February, 1727. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I Gilbert Ramsay Rector of the Parish of Christ Church in the Island of Barbados but now sojourning in the City of Bath in that part of Great Britain called England Do hereby make my Last Will and Testament I GIVE and bequeath the sum of Four thousand eight hundered pound sterling to the Corporation of the City of new Aberdeen in north Britain that is to say to the Provost Baillies Town Counsell and governing members of the same City for the time being to be paid to them or their order in the City of London within one year nixt after my decease in trust to be by them and their successors laid out in the purchase of Lands in fee simple lying as near to the said City of new Aberdeen as can conveniently be purchass'd and in trust in the mean time untill such purchase shall be made to manage and dispose of the said Four thousand eight hundered pounds at interest and in trust to pay and apply the intrest thereof till such purchase shall be made and also the rents issues and profits of the Lands after such purchase shall be made as aforesaid yearly to and upon the several trusts intents and purchases [sic] herein after declared That is to say the yearly rent Intrest or income of One thousand pound Sterling part of the said Four thousand eight hundered pounds to be a constant standing yearly Sallary for ever to a pious learned well qualified Professor of the Hebrew Arabick and Oriental Languages in the Marischal Colledge of the said City of new Aberdeen for the advancement of true learning to the glory of God and good of his Church And my Will is and I doe order that the said Professor be impartially elected out of the most deserving and best qualified Linguists and placed in the said College on this my Foundation as soon as the money shall be received for the same and the Sallary be yearly duely paid to him and his successors on this my Foundation for ever by the said Corporation of new Aberdeen aforesaid ITEM I give the yearly rent interest or income of Two thousand pounds Sterling other part of the said sum of Four thousand eight hundered Pounds to be a constant standing yearly Pension for ever to Four hopefull deserving young Schollars Masters of Art Students. of Divinity Which four Students of Divinity conscionably elected I order shall be placed in the said Marischall Colledge of new Aberdeen to pursue diligently their Theological studies there for the service of the Church immediately after the receipt of the moneys hereby appointed for their yearly Pension and each of them the said Schollars and their successors duely elected and placed Students of Divinity on this my Foundation for that holy end shall be this my Will receive and be paid yearly by the said Corporation of new Aberdeen aforesaid for ever one whole fourth part of the yearly Rent intrest or income of the said Two thousand Pounds Sterling for the term of three years and no longer And my will and desire also is that every one of the said Students of Divinity enjoying this my pension shall reside at the Colledge six moneths at least every year of the said three years dilligently following his and their Theologicall studies there and that after the expiration of the said term of Three years he shall remove and go into Holy Orders for the service of the Church that another well qualified Student in Divinity may succeed him to this my Donation and so on successively for ever ITEM I. give devise and bequeath the yearly rent interest or income of the sum of Eight hundered pounds sterling other part of the said sum of Four thousand eight hundered pounds to be for ever an addition to a perpetuall standing yearly pension heretofore by me setled by Deed of Mortification dated at Barbados on or about the twenty fourth day of June one thousand seven hundered and fourteen upon Four hopeful young Schollars called Bursars for ever to be educated in knowledge of the Greek Tongue and Philosophy in the said Marischal College in new Aberdeen during the space of Four years and no longer The which addition to the said yearly Pension heretofore by me setled I hereby order to be paid to and equally devided yearly among the said four young Schollars called Bursars for ever for their better mantainance by the said Corporation of new Aberdeen aforsaid for ever And my will is that if any of these four hopefull young schollars who have enjoyed any Pension for the appointed time of Four years limited in my said Deed of Mortification at the study of the Greek Tongue and Philosophy and have behaved themselves well and shall apply to the Study of Divinity and have taken the degree of Master of Arts they shall be elected to my said Pension for the Study of Divinity before others cæteris paribus and failling them I give it to the most deserving absolutely and my will is that the said Four Schollars shall enjoy the privilege of wearing Red Gowns as other Scholars of the same College usually do .. AND I give devise and bequeath the Patronage and gift of Presentation to all the aforesaid Sallaries Pensions and Donations payable out of the said intrest or income of the said Four thousand eight hundred pounds and out of the rents issues and profits of the Lands to be purchased therewith as aforesaid with full power and authority to see and cause the due and faithfull execution of all and every Trust and things herein befor expressed and declared concerning the same to my honoured Cousin Sir Alexander Ramsay Barronet and Laird of Belmain in the shire of Kincardin in North Britain and to the Lairds of Belmain of the name of Ramsay for ever And failing them I give the said Patronage and right of Presentation to the said Corporation of New Aberdeen and their successors for ever Earnestly requesting them to accept of so charitable a Trust to the glory of God and good of their Countrey. From the Extract contained in the Executors' letter to the Town *Here follow bequests to the schoolmaster and the poor of the testator's native parish of Birse. + In the Town Council Minutes several entries occur relative to this mortification:May 14, 1728. Letter from Sir Alexander Ramsay of Balmain, and David Ochterlony of Tilliefroskie, the executors, dated Feb. 2, 172, intimating the terms of the Will. Letter to be sent in reply by the Provost (T. C. R. lix. 414). Apr. 10, 1729. Thomas Mossman, procurator for executors, presents discharge to be signed by Provost, Baillies and Council on payment of legacies, binding them and their successors to employ money in terms of testament (lx. 46). Apr. 17. Head Court recommend magistrates to raise a Summons of declarator before Lords of Session to have it declared that they, the magistrates, have power of electing the bursars, and the professor of Oriental languages; and that Sir A. Ramsay has merely the power of presentation (lx. 55). May 14. Counter-Summons received from Sir A. Ramsay, who seeks to have it declared that action of magistrates is a repudiation of the trust (lx. 70). Sept. 6. By interlocutor of July 11, Lord Ordinary Grange finds that Magistrates have no power of election, and failing acceptance of conditions before September 15, have repudiated trust. Sustained on appeal, July 30 (lx. 88). Sept. 8. They sign a qualified form of acceptance (lx. 89). Which the Lord Ordinary rejects, November 8th. Rejection sustained on appeal. Sir A. Ramsay and his heirs have, under authority of the Court, managed the funds of the mortification, together with Sir. A. Ramsay Irvine's addition of 1802 (q. v. infra). At present the Ramsay Arts bursaries are four in number, of £24 each-£20 paid by Balmain and £4 paid from Burse Fund (supra, p. 400). The Divinity bursaries are also four, of £20 each, tenable for three years. The professor of Oriental Languages was appointed by Balmain and his successors until 1860, when the chair was conjoined with that in King's College, and the patronage transferred to the Crown. The interest on 1000 is paid by Balmain towards the endowment. In 1736 a lawsuit took place, Sir A. Ramsay raising an Action of Declarator against the Principal and Professors, because Professor Chalmers had refused to admit into the Divinity Hall three students presented to the Ramsay bursaries, they not bringing with them from their presbyteries or ministers certificates of moral character and education. On 28th July the haill Lords" adhered to an interlocutor of 1st July by Lord Ordinary Strichen, finding that Professor Chalmers was bound to admit Ramsay bursars without any such certificates. "The Ramsay bursaries, having been by far the largest endowments of that kind, have been in very many cases most grossly misapplied, by the patron presenting them from interest alone, without the smallest regard to the worth or abilities or poverty of the Candidates. So that many of them have been complete nuisances in the classes to which they were admitted. And there have been more instances than one of their being held by students not bona fide students of Divinity, but only attending the Divinity Hall to allow them to draw the 25 guineas while they were studying Medicine and destined for that profession" (Knight's MS. Collections). In 1721-4, Gilbert Ramsay seems to have forwarded certain sums to the College for repair of the Bridge of Feugh (cf. p. 400). Two regents and two masons ride out to view the bridge: Mr Verner's bills for two journeys in 1721, £20 and £17 16s., Scots; again, in 1724, 12 12s.; and in 1725, £1 16s. XCVII. King George II. renews the grant (No. XCII.) made by George I. 9th April, George R. 1729. Our Sovereign Lord ordains Letters to be made and passed under the Privy Seal of Scotland in these Words or to the Effect following George the 2d by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith etc To the Com's of Our Treasury now being And to the High Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for the time being and to the Barons of Our Court of Exchequer in Scotland now and for the time being and to all others. to whom these Presents do or shall appertain Greeting Whereas We are graciously pleased out of Our pious and princely Zeal for the good and Flourishing Estate of our Colledge in the New Town of Aberdeen to Grant to the Principal and Professors of the said Colledge and their Successors in Office the Yearly Sum of 105l. to be distributed amongst them in manner following That is to Say To the Principal of the said Colledge the Yearly Sum of 20l. To the Professor of Divinity there the Yearly Sum of 20l. And to the Six other Professors (to wit) Three of Philosophy One of Greek One of Mathematicks and One of Physick the Yearly Sum of 651. equally to be divided amongst them Our Will and Pleasure therefore is And We do hereby Direct Authorize and Command that you cause the said Annual Sums Amounting as aforesaid to 105l. p. Ann. to be placed on Our Establishment for Civil Affairs in that part of Our Kingdom of Great Britain called Scotland To Commence from Xmas 1727 the first Payment to be made thereupon to be for One Year ended at Xmas last 1728 and from thenceforth to be paid and accounted payable Quarterly to the said Principal and Professors now being and to their Successors in Office for the time being or to their respective Assignees in the proportions before expressed For and During Our Pleasure in like manner as other the Pensions on Our said Establishment are or shall from time to time be paid or payable For doing whereof these presents shall be to the Keeper of the said Seal for causing the same to be appended thereto a sufficient Warrant Given at his Ma's Court at St. James's the 9th day of April |