| 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 | Uncertain when he will return home. Will go by Cullen, Banff, and Peterhead, and James Hay beattie can expect him by Wednesday or Thursday. Will then go to Aberdeen via Cluny. Alternatively, Beattie may bring chaise from Aberdeen to carry James Hay Beattie and Mr Wilson home from Peterhead. Has heard nothing from Montrose or Dr Dun. Dr Skene has been soliciting Beattie to declare for Dr Morgan, but he adheres to neutrality , so the college can be unanimous about Skene's successor. Monboddo has been at Gordon Castle. He and Beattie were civil to each other, but neither seemed much inclined to renew their acqaintance. Monboddo's farfetched ideas on Greek. He claims to speak it with a better accent than anyone in England. Also says Longinus not a good critic, and Georgic not a good poem. |