| Administrative History | Peter John Anderson was born in Inverness on 16 Sep 1852. He attended Inverness Academy and graduated from Aberdeen University, MA 1872, and Edinburgh University LL B 1876. His working life was spent almost wholly in the University of Aberdeen, first as University assistant in Natural Philosophy, 1873 - 1879; and subsequently, Examiner, 1880 - 1883; Assistant Registrar, 1883 - 1889; Rector's Assessor on the University Court, 1890 - 1893; University Librarian, 1894 - 1926; Clerk of the General Council, 1907 - 1926; and Registrar, 1918 - 1926. From 1880 - 1893 he also lectured at the Church of Scotland Training College, Aberdeen.
Through his dual roles as University Librarian and Secretary of the New Spalding Club, he secured the deposit in the University Library of many significant local manuscript and printed papers. After his death, on 12 May 1926, a memorial subscription was raised in the University, and a P.J. Anderson Memorial Lecture was founded in 1932. For appreciations of his life and works see Aberdeen University Review , 13 (1925 - 1926), 88, 168, 193, 260; Aberdeen University Review , 14 (1926 - 1927), 56, 184. and Colin A. McLaren, P.J. Anderson and the History of the University, P.J. Anderson Memorial Lecture, 1983 Aberdeen University Review 51 (1985-86), 83-101.
Duncan Liddel was born in Aberdeen in 1561 and educated there. He then travelled in Europe and studied mathematics under John Craig at Frankfurt before continuing to Silesia and later Rostock. He taught mathematics and philosophy for a time at Frankfurt in the 1580s, before being invited to take up a post at the University at Helmstadt, taking the higher mathematical chair in 1594. He had studied medicine while teaching at Frankfurt and now also taught it at Helmstadt. His career there was a successful one, including the publication of several much-admired medical textbooks, and he retired in 1607 to return to Scotland a rich man. Shortly before his death he made considerable endowments to Marischal College, Aberdeen, and died in Aberdeen in 1613, leaving his books to the same college. |
| Custodial History | Probably given by P.J. Anderson in 1912, apart from MS 3178/8 which was given by Jeffrey C. Stone probably around 1981. |