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University of Edinburgh (Scottish University)

 Organization

Biography

The University of Edinburgh was established by Royal Charter in 1582. It was originally called Tounis College, when part of a legacy left by Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney in 1558 had established a college of which the Town Council had gained control to establish a College of Law on the South side of Edinburgh. The inception of the University took place in 1583. In 1617 when King James VI of Scotland (I of England) visited the College it was decreed that the College should change its name to King James' College, although the College continued to use the older title. The first change in the corporate body of the University was not until 1935 when the first merger took place. This was between the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh and New College. This was due to the re-union of the Church of Scotland in 1932.The next merger was in 1951 when the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School was reconstituted as part of the University of Edinburgh. The Royal (Dick) Veterinary School achieved full faculty status in 1964. In 1998 Moray House Institute of Education became the Faculty of Education.

The first classes of the university were held in Hamilton House known as the Duke's Lodge. In 1582 a site that included St Mary in the Fields was acquired. Many new buildings and extensions were made to the site of Hamilton House after 1616. Two prominent stages of building for the University were those undertaken by Robert Adam and William Playfair. In 1869 the site next to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was acquired. Building on this project was completed by the end of the 19th century. The University today is situated around these areas in the centre of Edinburgh and Kings Buildings and there are also campuses at Holyrood and elsewhere.

Teaching began in 1583 under Robert Rollock, with a four year course in arts to gain a masters of arts. When Rollock was appointed as the first principal of the University, there were four Philosophy regents and one regent of Humanity, whilst Rollock specialized in Divinity. Until the beginning of the 18th century the University remained essentially an Arts College, with a Divinity School attached. Throughout the 17th century the Chairs of Divinity, Oriental Languages, Ecclesiastical History and Mathematics had been created. By the end of the 17th century there was also regular teaching in Medicine, and sporadic teaching in Law. The University was at the centre of European Enlightenment in the 18th century. By 1722 a Faculty of Law had been established. The first medical Chair had been established in 1685 and was closely followed in the first half of the 18th century by six more. Four more medical Chairs were created in the 19th century. New Chairs in other Faculties were not established after 1760 until the latter half of the 19th century when they followed in rapid succession, continuing in the 20th century, which include those produced by the mergers with New College, the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School and Moray House Institute of Education.

The University was governed by the town council until the Universities (Scotland) Act of 1858, when it received self governing status. The archaic teaching and management system of regents was abolished in 1708. The 1858 act dramatically changed the constitution of the University. A University Court and General Council were introduced which decided on matters and management pertaining to the whole University. The Senatus Academicus was already in place before 1858and this managed academic matters, but answered to the Court and Council. This system is still used.

The University of Edinburgh provides validation for a Master of Fine Arts that has run jointly with Edinburgh College of Art since 1943. A joint chair, the Hood Chair of Mining Engineering was established in 1923 with Heriot-Watt College which became Heriot-Watt University.

In 2002, the structure of the university was altered substantially, with the abolition of Faculties and the creation of the College of Humanities & Social Science, the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine and the College of Science & Engineering. Departments were replaced by Schools within each Faculty.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Class cards etc. relating to John Baillie Miller

 Fonds — Box EUA-A-10
Identifier: EUA GD67
Scope and Contents

2 matriculation cards (1862 and 1864); class cards - Greek (1862), Law of Scotland (1862/3), Scots law (1862/3), Criminal law (Summer session, 1863).

Dates: 1861-1863

Class cards of Forbes T. Wallace

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1245
Scope and Contents

The collection is composed of four cards, being:


  1. matriculation card, 1895
  2. matriculation card, 1896
  3. class card, Winter Session, 1895-1896. Lectures on Scots Law
  4. class card, Winter Session, 1896-1897. Lectures on Conveyancing
Dates: 1895-1897

Collection of Class certificates 1951-1954 of John Robertson, Law student

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1435
Scope and Contents The University of Edinburgh class attendance certificates include those for: Civil Law during Academic Year 1951-1952, Jurisprudence during Academic Year 1951-1952, Administrative Law during Academic Year 1952-1953, Scots Law during Academic Year 1952-1953, Conveyancing during Academic year 1953-1954, and Public Law (Public International Law) during summer session of Academic Year 1953-1954. The collection also includes a Certificate of Merit certifying that John Robertson 'acquitted himself...
Dates: 1951-1954

Law notes of Professor Hector MacQueen

 Fonds — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Coll-1256
Scope and Contents The collection is composed of lecture notes, essays, copies of cases, copies of exam papers, off-prints and other material relating to the following courses (and course components) offered by the then Faculty of Law, Edinburgh University: History of Scots Law Scottish Legal System Scots Law I and II Conduct of Proof / Inquiry ...
Dates: 1974-1979

Papers of Professor Sir Thomas Broun Smith

 Fonds
Identifier: Coll-1250
Scope and Contents The collection is composed of (in many cases simply copies of) cases, reports, drafts, memoranda, off-prints, articles, notes, correspondence, lectures and addresses, news-clippings and other material relating to: Defective consent Illegality of obligations / Illegality and morailty / Illegal contracts Contract code / Contract code - Minors Unjustified...
Dates: 1960-1985