| Administrative History | Robert Arbuthnot [1728-1803] was a member of a distinguished Jacobite/ Episcopalian family. He was brought up and later owned Haddo-Rattray House, north of Peterhead. He was a merchant and then a banker in the firm of Arbuthnot and Guthrie, which failed in 1772. He then moved to Edinburgh where he bacame secretary of the Board for the Encouragement of Manufacturies and Fisheries in Scotland. He befriended Beattie after Beattie moved to Aberdeen in 1758, and became for some years his principal poetic adviser and promoter. He negotiated on Beattie's behalf and often in conjuction with Sir William Forbes, with the booksellers over several of the publications |
| Description | Complicated story about a trust for £200 for Mr Bruce in Virginia, and complications arising [see letter MS 30/1/185]. Bruce sent Beattie the money in 1782 over to Ninjan Johnston in Aberdeen. A year or two later, Mr Stivinson came from Virginia claiming the money, and a lawsuit ensued, still going on. Beattie needs to recover the original of some papers to establish that he had passed on the money. He has been working at James Hay Beattie's papers, and writing sketch of life and character. Principal Campbell very ill and expected to die soon. Office of Principal may be held by a layman, though chair of Divinity must go to a clergyman. Campbell told Beattie he would like him to be his successor. Beattie is the oldest regent, but unlikely to succeed, since death had deprived him of most of his friends in England. Asks if Arbuthnot could secure Ferguson of Pitfour and Dundas. Beattie will write to Bishop of London and Mrs Montagu, to see if they will mention his name to Pitt, who has spoken favourably of Beattie's writings. Skene and Copland will have applied to Duke of Gordon. |