A Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the Trades' House of Glasgow, its constitution, funds, and bye-laws

Front matter

A SKETCH or THE TRADES' HOUSE OF GLASGOW. A SKETCH OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS op THE TRADES' HOUSE OF GLASGOW, ITS CONSTITUTION, FUNDS, AND BYE-LAWS. BV GEORGE CEAWFURD. GLASGOW: PRINTED BY BELL & BAIN, ST. ENOCH SQUARE. 1858. THE TRADES' HOUSE OF GLASGOW, 1856-57. James Wilson, Deacon Convener. Charles Malloch, Collector. James Craig, late Convener. John Morrison, late Collector. HAMMERMEN. MALTMEN. John Drew, Visitor. William Clark, Deacon. Simon M'Lennan, late Visitor. John Renton. Robt. M. Lindsay, late Deacon. Charles Thomas. James Logan. Peter Forstth. Colin M 'Alpine. James M'Vicar. WEAVERS. tailors. Joseph Ewing, Deacon. Thomas Gray, Deacon. Wm. Burgess, late Deacon. Adam M'Lellan. John Morrison, late Deacon. William Fraser. George Thomson. Hugh M'Coll. Henry Clow. David Kennedy. BAKERS.

James Campbell, Deacon. William Watson, late Deacon. John Ure. CORDINERS. James Simpson, Deacon. SKINNERS. Duncan M'Grigor, late Deacon. James M'Farlane. John Kerr, Jun., Deacon. James Wood, late Deacon. Thomas Bell. James Kay. John Craig. THE TRADES' HOUSE OP GLASGOW. VI GARDENERS. WRIGHTS. William Anderson, Deacon. Alex. Clark, late Deacon. William M'Call. Robert M'Cowan, Deacon. Duncan Smith, late Deacon. John Clark. COOPERS. John King, Jun., Deacon. BARBERS. William M'Laren, late Deacon. John Stewart, Sen. John Meek, Deacon. John Moore, late Deacon. John Reid. FLESHERS. John Lockhart, Deacon. Robert Rankin, late Deacon. John Lockhart, Jun. DYERS. William Brand, Deacon. Alexander Reid, late Deacon. MASONS. William Neilson, Deacon. Thomas Forgan, late Deacon. David Manwell. TCi THE DEACON CONVENER AND MEMBERS OF THE TRADES' HOUSE OF GLASGOW.

Glasgow, 18th September, 1857. Gentlemen, Many members of your ancient ' Corporation, have often expressed a desire, to get information of its origin and progress ; and more particularly, to have a collection of its Bye-laws for their guidance. I was unable to put any book into their hand, from which this very natural desire might be satisfied ; and, perceiving that the old members, who were the oracles of the House during the early part of this century, have been removed, I thought that I might usefully employ my leisure, in endeavouring to gather and put into a collected form, some information on the subject. I soon perceived that the Fourteen Incorporations, of whose federal union the Trades' House is the result, existed while the inhabitants of Glasgow were the serfs of the Roman Catholic Archbishop, who ruled supreme, and as the lord of the barony, and latterly of the regality, appointed the magistrates ; and as I found that some recent writers had represented that the Letter of Guildry of 1605, proceeded from a mere squabble for precedence, between the merchants and tradesmen of Glasgow, I thought it necessary to glance at the history of the city itself, in dedication.

Appendix

. Page No. I. — Bull by Pope Alexander III., 16th February, 1175, 281 IL— Charter by William the Lion, 1174, . . 282 III.— Charter by William the Lion, 27th June, 1176, 283 IV.— Charter by William the Lion, 1190, . . 284 V — Charter by James the Second, 20th April, 1450, 285 VI. — Notarial Instrument taken upon the last Nomination of Bailies of Glasgow, by a Roman Catholic Archbishop, 3d October, 1553, . 288 VII.— The Barony of Glasgow, .... 290 VIII.— The Lordship and Regality of Glasgow, . . 290 IX.— Letter of Guildry, 296 X. — Ratification of the Letter of Guildry, statute 1672, chap. 129, 315 XL— Act William and Mary, 1690, chap. 18, . . 316 XII.— Statute Queen Anne, 1705, chap. 54, . . ERRATA. Page 17, Instead of " who was a pupil of Lambert, the friend of Luther and Melancthon, and had become abbot of Ferme," read " who was the pupil of Lambert (the friend of Luther and Melancthon), and had become abbot of Ferme."

Page 102, For "£600,000," read "£450,000," in addition to the price obtained for Sunderland, and some privileges over the Island of Jura, previously sold by Mr. Campbell's grandfather. Page 160, Revenue and Expenditure — Deduct £144 0s. 9d. of payments for the school, from £369 19s. 6d. as its gross cost, to show £225 18s. 9d. as its net cost paid by the House, in addition to the payments by the incorporations. Page 163, Total Expenditure of Trades' House, read £2,123 7s. Id., instead of £2,242 7s. Id. THE TRADES' HOUSE OF GLASGOW.

Chapter I

the cathedral. The origin of this Corporation cannot be satisfactorily traced, without taking a glance at the progress of the city itself, from its erection as a Bishop's Burgh of Barony, to the higher rank of a Burgh Royal. A rapid glance, however, will suffice to disclose the causes which led to the establishment of the Merchants' House and Trades' House. A Christian settlement and church were founded by St. Kentigern or St. Mungo, in the sixth century, in the midst of a forest of wood and bush, upon the site of the present cathedral of Glasgow. Nothing is known of the circumstances under which this church and its community existed, beyond the disclosures of the Inquisition, made by David Prince of Cumberland, in 1116. This Prince was superior of all the country called Cumbria, com prehending what is now Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and other districts situated southward, partly in Scotland, and partly in England ; and in that Inquisition he alludes to the " church having continued long inviolate in the faith :" — but he laments that " a fraudulent destroyer, employs'; the cathedral. ing his common wiles, brought, after a long series of time, unaccountable scandals into the Cumbrian church ; and, after St. Kentigern, and many of his successors, by their adherence to the holy religion, were removed to heaven, various dis turbances everywhere arising, not only destroyed the church and her possessions, but wasting the whole country, drove the inhabitants into exile.

These good men being destroyed, various tribes of different nations, flocking in from several quarters, possessed the deserted country ; but being of differ ent origin, and varying from each other in language and customs, and not easily agreeing among themselves, they fol lowed the manners of the Gentiles, rather than those of the true faith," and " lived like brutes."* It thus appears that the original inhabitants of Glasgow were of mixed race ; and were in a barbarous and most unhappy state, at the close of the five hundred years which intervened between the foundation of the Christian settlement by St. Kentigern, and the time of Alexander King of Scotland, who was brother to this Prince of Cumberland. The Inquisition proceeds to recite, that " God sent unto them David, brother-german to the foresaid King of Scotland, as their prince and leader, to correct their scandalous and wicked practices, and to check their abominable obstinacy, by his greatness of mind, and by an inflexible severity."

He " made choice of John, a pious man, to be their bishop ; and he dif fused the Gospel throughout the Cumbrian diocese, the Holy Ghost powerfully assisting him :" and the prince " having caused make inquiry concerning the lands pertaining to the church of Glasgow, throughout all the provinces of Cumbria, which were under his dominion and subjection," " found out" the numerous lands therein enumerated as having " formerly belonged to the church of Glasgow."! This Inquisition is dated 1116, and is the earliest record of the state of the inhabitants of Glasgow. The large tracts of land thus found out as church property " Registrum Episcopatus Glasguensis, p. 5. ■)• Hid, p. 5. CHARTERS BY WILLIAM THE LION. were re-united to the church, and, under the influence of religious enthusiasm, and the exertions of the clergy, enabled Bishop John to erect a church at Glasgow ; and his successor Herbert to found, and proceed with the erection of, the present cathedral in its stead.

The church built by Bishop John was consecrated in 1136 ; the existing cathedral, built in its stead, was consecrated by Jocelyn in 1197 ; and this holy act was followed by the foundation of numerous altars and chapels within the cathedral, and several churches and chapels in the districts around, accompanied by grants for their support.*

Chapter II. Charters By William The Lion

About 1174, when the cathedral was being erected, King Wil ham, styled the Lion, granted " to God and St. Kentigern, and to Jocelin Bishop of Glasgow, and all his successors, for ever, that they shall have a burgh at Glasgow, with a weekly market upon Thursday, fully and freely with all freedoms, liberties, and customs which any of my burghs throughout the whole of my kingdom enjoy." f By another charter, dated 27th June, 1176, he gave and granted his absolute protection to all those who shall come to the markets at Glasgow, which he had granted to God and St. Kentigern and the burgh of Glasgow, in coming there, standing there, and returning thence, provided they behave themselves according to the laws and customs of my burghs and kingdom.*): And by a third charter, dated 1190, King William gave and granted and confirmed to God and Saint Kentigern, to the * Origines Parochialis Scotiæ, vol. i., p. 2. t Appendix, Na 2.

X Ibid, X Ibid, No. 2. CHARTERS BY WILLIAM THE LION. church of Glasgow, and Jocelin the bishop of that place, and to all his successors for ever, a fair to be kept at Glasgow, and to be held every year for ever, from the octave of the Apostles Peter and Paul (July 6), for the space of eight days complete. M'Ure gives a translation of the first of these charters, by wliich he represents that the king thereby " gives and grants, and by this writing of mine perpetually confirms to and in favor of the pious and holy Saint Kentigernus and Jocelinus, Bishop of Glasgow, and to each of their successors, to have a royal burgh for ever at the city of Glasgow." * The inaccuracy of this translation is apparent. There is not a word in the Latin charter, as given by M'Ure himself, to warrant the use of the adjective " royal," as descriptive of the right granted.

The original words, as given by M'Ure, are the following : " Concesse et hac carta mea confirmasse Deo et Sancto Kentigerno et Jocelino Episcopo Glasguensi et singulis suis successoribus in perpetuum ut burgum habeant apud Glasgu cum foro," &c. There is not one word in this charter to justify the introduction of the words' " royal burgh." The grant is to " God and Saint Kentigern and to Jocelin Bishop of Glasgow, and all his successors in perpetuity, to have a burgh at Glasgow." There is no grant of land to be held burgage of the crown, no erection of a corporation, and no words conferring right on the inhabitants to have and to elect magistrates. It is a grant to the bishop " to have a burgh at Glasgow ;" consequently a burgh of barony, the bishop, as superior, having the right to appoint the magistrates, for the exercise of the very limited powers of bailies of a burgh of barony.

M'Ure's translation is inaccurate in many other respects. His inaccuracies were adopted by Ewing, Cleland, and all other writers or compilers upon the subject, without inquiry. The editor of the last edition of M'Ure's History, however, adds a note to the translation of the charter by William, in the following terms :— " This charter has been printed by the * M'Ure, p. 82. GLASGOW A BURGH OP BARONY. 5 Maitland Club with considerable variations, and without the date." I may also refer to the Report by the Royal Commissioners on the Municipal Corporations of Scotland, 1835, who reported as follows : — " In virtue of these charters of William the Lion, Glasgow became what has been termed a free burgh ; but it is en tirely a mistake to suppose, as has been usually done, that it was thereby erected into a burgh royal — a mistake which must have arisen from inattention to what, at least in that age, constituted the main criterion of a burgh royal, the tenure of burgal property, by its possessors immediately under the crown, — Glasgow, on the contrary, was then what at a later period was denominated a burgh of barony."*

Chapter III. Glasgow

A BUHGH OP BARONY. The village which surrounded the original church built by Bishop John, was very limited, and was occupied by the " bishop's men," who were styled " natives," or " serfs," or " burgesses, free tenants, and vassals." After the present cathedral was consecrated, Alexander the Second, in 1235, granted to " the bishop's men, natives, and serfs, freedom from toll, as well in burgh as without, for their ain chattels, and what they bought for their proper use."t Rutherglen had been created a royal burgh by King David, in 1126, and its territory was described as " within the haill bounds and marches from Netham to Polmadie, and from * Report Municipal Corporations, 1835. — Local Reports, part ii., p. 3. f Origines Parochiales Scotiæ, i., p. 12. GLASGOW A BURGH OF BARONY. Garion to Kelvin, and from Loudoun to Prenteith, and from Carniburgh to Carron."

These were very extensive boundaries. From the river Netham, above Hamilton, to Polmadie in the parish of Govan, on the left bank of the Clyde ; from Garion, above Hamilton, to Kelvin below Glasgow, on the right bank of that river, are well known boundaries at the present day. Loudoun, in Ayrshire, is also well known; but Prenteith and Carniburgh are not known, while Carron is the well known river of that name in Stirlingshire. In so far as known, those boundaries indicate a very extensive territory for Rutherglen, and include Glasgow. The free burgesses of Rutherglen levied toll from the " bishop's men" of Glasgow; and Alexander the Second, by his charter 1235, prohibited the royal burgh of Rutherglen from levying toll or custom " within the town of Glasgow, but only at the cross of Schedenistun as they formerly used to be levied;"* — that is, Shettleston, three miles eastward of Glasgow.

In 1241, Alexander the Second granted a charter to the bishop to hold his lands around Glasgow called Conclud, Schedenistun, Ballayn Badermouse, Possile and Kenmor, Gar roch Newtun Leys, Ramnishoren, the lands of the burgh, and other lands pertaining to the manor of Glasgow, in free forest, fenced with the usual penalty of ten pounds, for offences against the venison, f And, in 1242, Alexander the Second erected Dumbarton into a royal burgh ; and by the royal charter of erection, specially preserved to " the bishop's burgesses, and men of Glasgow, the rights of trade and merchandise, through Argyll and Lennox." -f * Registrum Glasguensis, p. 114, No. 135. f Origines Par. Scotiæ, i., 17. X Ibid, u, 13.

Chapter IV. Glasgow

A BURGH OP REGALITY. The influence and power of the bishop and hierarchy of the Church of Rome, appear to have been inadequate to protect the bishop's burgesses of Glasgow, from the raids of the freemen of Rutherglen and Renfrew, and the bishop sought the aid of the secular power. In 1449, King James the Second issued a charter, declaring " that nane of our said burrows, na nane eitheris, cum wythin the barony of Glasgow, na wythin ony landis perteenand to Saint Mungoe's freedom, to tak toll or custom be watter or land."* And by another royal charter, dated 20th April, 1450, James the Second gave and granted to William Bishop of Glas gow and his successors, the city of Glasgow and lands called Bishop-forest in pure regality, to be holden in free, pure, and mere regality or royalty, in fee and heritage." | Were anything awanting to prove that the charter by William the Lion did not erect Glasgow into a royal burgh, this charter by James the Second would supply the defi ciency.

By this charter the city of Glasgow, barony of Glasgow, and lands called Bishop-forest, are granted to the bishop and his successors, to be held in " pure regaltie."| This could not have been done if Glasgow had been previously created a royal burgh. Degrading a royal burgh into a burgh of regality, would have been an act of oppression, and quite illegal. Glas gow was a burgh of barony only until this date ; and this charter, by creating it a burgh of regality, elevated the city one step in rank and dignity. This charter did not grant the lands to the community of * Origines Parochiales Scotiæ, vol. i., p. 13. f Appendix, No. 5. X Ibid, No. 5. Glasgow to be held of the crown, with power to elect their magistrates, as is done in erecting a territory into a royal burgh. It granted the city of Glasgow, barony of Glasgow, and the lands of Bishop-forest, to William Archbishop of Glas gow, and his successors, to be holden in free, pure, and mere regality or royalty, in fee and heritage.

The archbishop thus continued the vassal of the crown. The men of Glasgow continued to be the archbishop's " burgesses," " natives," and " serfs;" and his reverence continued to appoint the magis trates, to keep them in order.

Chapter V. The University

In 1451, William Turnbull, bishop of the diocese, obtained from Pope Nicholas Fifth a bull, issued at the suit of James the Second, erecting a studium generale in the city of Glasgow, " as well in theology and in the canon and civil laws, as in arts and all other lawful faculties." This bull recites " the great fitness of the city for producing the seeds and growth of learning, not only for the advantage of the kingdom of Scotland, but the neighbouring nations, on account of the healthiness of its climate, the abundance of victuals, and of everything necessary for the use of man : that there the Catho lic faith may abound, the simple be instructed, justice taught, reason flourish, and the minds and understandings of men be enlightened and enlarged." This bull is dated 7th January, 1451.* James the Second, by his letter under the Great Seal, dated 20th April, 1453, " took under his firm peace, protection, and safeguard, all and every the rector, deans of faculty, pro- * Munimenta Univ.

Glasguensis, vol. i., p. 3. curators of nations, regents, masters and scholars, of his well beloved daughter the University of Glasgow, and exempted the rectors, deans, procurators, regents, masters, beadels, scribes, stationers, parchment-sellers and resident scholars, from all manner of taxes, duties, watch and ward exigible within the king's realm."* In the same year William Turnbull, then bishop, with con sent of his chapter, granted certain privileges to the rector, doctors, masters, and others of the University, f The establishment of this University, for the promotion of those laudable objects, proves that an amount of enlightened liberality prevailed among the hierarchy of the Roman Catho lic Church in the fifteenth century, which Protestants are unwilling to concede. Neither the pope, the bishop, nor the king, however, con ferred lands, or gave money, for the support of the institution thus established ; and the University languished in poverty, while the clergy of the diocese revelled in wealth.

The more ancient city consisted of a cluster of houses col lected round the Cathedral and Bishop's Castle, extending west ward along Rotten Row, eastward along Dry gate, and down the steep part of High Street.} There was no population ade quate to support the institution. In 1460, James Lord Hamilton, a predecessor of the Duke of Hamilton, granted " to the principal regent in the faculty of arts, and his successors, a tenement lying on the east side of High Street, between the convent of the Friars Preachers, on the south, and the land of Sir Thomas Arthurle, chaplain, on the north ; together with four acres of land on the Dove hill, beside the Molyndonore burn, under the condition that twice in every day, at the close of their noontide and evening meals, the regents and students shall rise and pray for the souls of the Lord of Hamilton, the founder of the College, and of the Lady Euphemie, Countess of Douglas and Lady * Munimenta Univ.

Glasguensis, vol. i., p. 6. t Ibid, p. 7. X Ibid, p. 7. of Bothwell, his wife, and their ancestors, heirs, and suc cessors."* In 1467, Sir Thomas of Arthurle gifted to the faculty of arts " a tenement or mansion on the east side of High Street, lying between the College of the faculty of arts, on the south, and the lands of John Carnys, Smith, on the north side, extending with a tail of land stretching to the Molyndenor burn."t These were the chief properties enjoyed by the University during the century which intervened from its institution to the Reformation, although several comparatively unimportant gifts were made, and several confirmations were obtained of the exemption from taxes during that period. On 24th January, 1558, James Archbishop of Glasgow annexed the perpetual vicarage of Colmonel to the " Pedagogy of his city of Glasgow."

On 13th July, 1563, Mary Queen of Scots endowed " five bursars, to be presented by the queen's grace, and gave to the college, for their support, the manss and kirke rowme of the Friars Preachers, within the said citie, threttene akeris of land, liand besyde the samynd citie, 10 merks a-year which had been payable to the friars, 20 merks from the Nether town of Hamilton, 10 bolls of meal from lands in Lennox, and 10 merks from the lands of Avendaill."} By royal charter granted by Queen Mary, dated 16th March, 1566, Her Majesty granted to the provost, bailies, and community of Glasgow, for the support of their ministers, and the erection and endowment of hospitals, the lands, houses, churches, rents, dues, and other property of the chantries, altarages, and prebends of any church, chapel, or college in Glasgow, with the houses and lands of the Dominican or Preaching Friars, Minor or Franciscan, within the city of Glasgow. § On 26th January, 1572, the provost, bailies, and council of- * Munimenta Univ.

Glasguensis, vol. i., p. 9. X Ibid, p. 68. t Ibid, p. 18. § Ibid, p. 71. Glasgow conveyed all those lands to the Pedagogy or Col lege, for the maintenance of a professor of theology, of two regents and teachers of philosophy, and twelve poor stu dents. * Thus the College acquired the whole properties of which their neighbours the Dominican and Franciscan Friars were stript at the Reformation.

In July, 1577, James the Sixth granted a charter of erection and foundation, giving a new and improved constitution to the University, suited to the altered circumstances of the time, and gifted the rectory and vicarage of the parish of Govan to the College, for the maintenance of a provost or principal, three regents, a steward, four poor students, a servant, cook, and janitor, and otherwise more amply endowed it. j* And in 1630, Charles the First, by royal charter, confirmed all previous grants, and regulated the stipends to be paid to the principal, regents, ministers of parishes, &c. ± In 1649, Charles the Second gifted to Janet and John Cle land, a tenement on the south side of the Drygate of Glasgow, for payment of £10 Scots yearly to the rector, principal, and regents of the Academy and College of Glasgow, reserving to himself and his successors the right to one chamber and a stable, on the back part of the said tenement, and liberty of walking in the gardens attached thereto, whenever he or they might visit the burgh of Glasgow. § Cromwell gifted to the College the superiorities of the lands belonging to the bishopric of Galloway, the abbeys of Tungland and Glenluce, and the priory of Whithorn, and 200 merks yearly, from the customs of Glasgow, for the education of students of theology and philosophy in the University ; || and in 1657 he confirmed this gift, and gave much more valuable and extensive gifts, comprehending the deanery and subdean ery of Glasgow, the churches of Hamilton, Monkland, Campsie, * Munimenta Univ.

Glasguensis, vol. i., p. 82. t I^\ P- 103 % Ibid, p. 228. § st«*i P- 294. || Ibid, pp. 319, 3*21. Killearn, &c, &c, with the liberty of printing Bibles, in any language, and all sorts of books whatever.* Previous to the erection of the present buildings, known by the name of " The College," the site occupied by the Univer sity was in Rotten Row : the tenement occupied there having been styled " The Pedagogium." In 1501, the Archbishop of Glasgow presented Master Cuth bert Symson to the chaplainry of St. Nicholas Hospital, " so that the said Master Cuthbert should make personal and daily residence, in the Pedagogy of Glasgow, for the purpose of instructing the youth there in grammar, and daily lecturing on that subject." In 1524, it is described as " a tenement and place in the Ratoun Raw, called ' The Auld Pedagogue.' " The building in High Street must have been commenced between that date and 1563, for the above mentioned letter by Queen Mary, under the Privy Seal, which is dated 13th July that year, has the following recital : — " Of the quhilk College ane parte of the scolis and chalmeris being biggit, the rest thairof, alsweill dwellingis, as provisioun for the poore bur sars, and maisteris to teache, ceassit, sua that the samyn apperit rather to be the decay of ane Universitie, nor ony wayis to be reknit ane establischet foundation." f From this recital there can be no doubt that the buildings upon the present site of the College were commenced, but left unfinished in the reign of that unfortunate Princess.

Many grants and bequests were made for completing the buildings, which re mained in an unfinished state for nearly one hundred years. Between 1631 and 1636, a subscription was made through out Scotland for building a library in the College and other buildings. Charles the First subscribed £200 sterling. This sum remaining unpaid at his death, was paid by Cromwell. The subscription list contained — twenty-two Scots nobles, * Munimenta Univ. Glasguensis, vol. i., p. 336 t Ibid, p. 67. the Marquis of Hamilton heading the list with 1,000 merks ; three archbishops and three bishops ; a numerous list of Scot tish gentry ; the magistrates and council of Glasgow subscribed 2,000 merks, and the towns of Stirling and Ayr, 300 merks each, Irvin, £100 Scots ; one hundred and seventy-one ministers of parishes ; and twenty gentlemen in England.

Among the bequests during this period, the most remarkable was the bequest by Zacharius Boyd, minister of the Barony Kirk of Glasgow, in 1652. He conveyed his whole property to the College, under the burden of a provision for his widow, for the purpose of printing his works, in one volume folio, and applying the residue in erecting the new buildings. He died in 1653 ; but the claims of his widow and next of kin, and the bankruptcy of some of the debtors to the reverend testator, greatly diminished his property. His works were not printed ; and the residue of his property, which amounted to about £550 sterling, was applied towards the expense of the buildings then in progress. The buildings fronting High Street, the two courts in their rear, and the library, progressed from 1631 to 1662. By an audit in 1658, The buildings cost . . . £35,857 11 4 Scots.

The sums received amounted to 35,862 1 4 Showing a balance on hand of £4 9 8* In 1659, there were considerable sums remaining due to the workmen, and four of the masters advanced 6.500 merks in loan to the University, at interest, to pay those debts. The Moderators of the College, in return for the Town Council of Glasgow having given £1,000 Scots towards putting on the roof of the new fore building, agreed not to appoint any person to be librarian, who is not the son of a burgess of Glasgow, and certified as such, by an act of the magistrates, subscribed by their clerk. In 1663, an Act of the Scottish Parliament passed, granting * Munimenta Univ. Glasguensis, vol. iii., p. 516. £600 sterling out of the vacant stipends of the diocese of Glasgow, for liquidating the debts, and completing the fabric of the College.

The faculty, in 1722, resolved to build eight lodgings for professors; but four only appear to have been built. In 1726, the faculty resolved to build two other such houses; and in 1728, declared a debt of £37,580 Scots to be outstanding for building those houses.* The great wealth of the Universities of Oxford and Cam bridge contrasts most favourably for them with the poverty of the University of Glasgow ; while the enlightened policy of the Scottish universities, in admitting students of every religious denomination, without regard to creed, and wholly free from religious test, contrasted most favourably for them with the narrow and exclusive policy of the English Universities, which prevailed till 1855. Till that year, all students who would not sign the Thirty -nine Articles, and would not take the sacrament, according to the ritual of the Episcopal Church, were excluded from the English universities.

Notwithstanding the recent reforms of these institutions, students, however eminent, cannot, even at this hour, take a degree at them without subscribing those articles, and taking the sacrament according to that form. The grants and bequests made to the English universities were generally of lands, which were retained, and which in creased in value ; while those made to Glasgow University were generally the lands and surplus tithes which had belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. The University had much difficulty in vindicating her right to those lands, for which there were competing claimants, and generally granted leases of them, at low rents, and were frequently glad to sell them for small sums to avoid litigation, and secure something out of them. The stipend payable to the ministers of the Reformed Church out of the tithe, reduced the surplus available for the Univer sity : and the feeling of the landowners was, that they were entitled to withhold for themselves every payment formerly * Munimenta Univ.