| Administrative History | James Hay Beattie [1768-1790]. Eldest son of Beattie. Named, with permission, after Beattie's patron James Hay, Earl of Erroll. His childhood is lovingly recorded in many letters, which show that Beattie was always a deeply involved parent, and in the memoir Beattie wrote shortly after James Hay's death. His childhood and adolescence were marred by his mother's mental illness, and her total disasppearance from his life when he was aged about eleven. He attended Aberdeen Grammar School, and then Marischal College from 1781 to 1786. He considered entering the church, but Beattie secured his appointment on 28 Spetember 1787 as his own assistant and successor. James Hay sometimes taught the Arts class, but was already ill with tubercolosis, of which he died on 19 November 1790. His father assembled a substantial volume of his prose and verse, printed in an edition of 200 copies for circulation among his friends in 1794, and subsequently published with Beattie's own poems in 1799 |
| Description | Letter from James Hay Beattie, Aberdeen, to James Beattie, saying he received his father's letter and he is happy to hear his father is well. James Hay writes that the vacation has started and will last for 3 weeks. Letter says his grandfather thinks James Hay should not go to the country until his father returns, as Mr Strachan is from home and James Hay could not go far on horseback. James Hay writes that he encloses a frank and another letter [which is unattached].
The lower half of the letter page has been torn and is missing.
"Dear Papa,
I received your letter this forenoon, & am glad to hear that you are well. I wrote you on Sunday last. The vacation is now begun; & continues for 3 weeks. GrandPapa thinks I cannot go to the country till you return, as Mr Strachan is from home, & as I could not ride far on horseback. G O. incloses this in a frank along with another letter. All here join me in kind compliments to you . And I ever am
Dear Papa Your affectionately
[Signed] J H Beattie". |