| Administrative History | "It seems probable that from the foundation of the Hospital to the Reformation, the Hospital was governed by a Director named by the bishop under the superintendence of the dean and chapter. It has been suggested that from the Reformation to the Revolution the administration was by a Director or Master who, while episcopacy was established, was named by the bishop and acted under the superintendence of the dean and chapter. But it has also been contended that this is incorrect. From the Session Records which extend back as far as 1620 it appears evident that the Master of the Hospital was nominated by the Kirk Session (see Minute 26th October 1664). At the Revolution, the new sovereigns King William and Queen Mary appear to have exercised the right of nomination and to have in some respects altered the management of the Hospital. By a Deed of Presentation dated the 28th day of 1693 on the narrative of the demission of John Pedder, late Master of the Hospital, on the last day of October 1691 whereby that office was vacant and in the sovereigns' gift and disposition, they nominated and presented Alexander Thomson preacher and catechist of Old Aberdeen and his successors, catechists of Old Aberdeen, to be Master of the Hospital, declaring that he should be accountable for his intromissions and make his accounts yearly if desired; and Dr George Middleton, Principal in Old Aberdeen, Mr George Fraser, Sub-Principal there, Dr John Keith, Minister of St Machar, and their successors were declared to be overseers of the said Hospital and auditors of the accounts ofthe Master and to admit him and his successor catechists there by taking the oath of allegiance to the sovereigns. [The two writs in the bundle are copies of this document.]
"There is an obvious error in the date of the attested copy, 1690 for 1692-3, and in several respects though not of much importance the two copies differ. From certain notes of examination of the copies made in May 1827 [MS 3861/1/2/1 item 1] it would seem that there must have been a principal of this paper at that time in possssion of the Hospital. The writer of these notes referred to the designation of Alexander Thomson Preacher and Catechist in Old Aberdeen as written on an erasure [i.e. not the person of Alexander Thomson, but his title: the notes read "The designation of the Presentee, 'Preacher & Catechist at Old Aberdeen', is written on an Erasure."] The office of Catechist has been for many years in desuetude. The general management of the Hospital and the right of nominating the Master were exercised by the Principal and Sub-Principal of the College and the first Minister of Old Machar until the late Universities Act came into operation, when the office of Sub-Principal was abolished or fell into abeyance. Since that time the Principal and First Minister have been the sole Managers." (Bain) |
| Description | Two copy documents concerning the presentation of Alexander Thomson, preacher and catechist in Old Aberdeen, as Master of Bishop Dunbar's Hospital in succession to John Pedder 1691, as part of the post-Revolution settlement.
1. Contemporary attested copy of Deed of Presentation by King William and Queen Mary of Alexander Thomson, preacher and catechist in Old Aberdeen, of the office of Master of the Hospital, 28 February 1692/3 [dated in error 1690]. Copy signed by John Dalrymple.
2. Another copy of the original document, made in 1851, with slight differences in wording |