| 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, Peterhead, to James Beattie, mentioning that some nonjuror bishops are going to London. According to the letter: "on Friday evening we had a rejoicing bonfire, in which an old boat and a washing tub were sacrificed to His Majesty's recovery." Letter mentions Dr Laing's thanksgiving sermon, which "was apposite & loyal, with considerable force of expression in some parts; and very in am? Pittish". James Hay writes about his intention to drink the Peterhead water; his frequent walking and his reading. Letter talks about the sentence he discussed with his father regarding action & motion and says he hopes to hear from his father soon. Letter talks about Montagu and mentions that James Hay has just read his father's letter from Montrose.
Addressed to 'Dr Beattie to the care of Sir William Forbes Bar.t of Pitsligo Edinburgh'. |