Untitled - Electric Scotland

, 2 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. n.
\j
(
College Album/ contributing to its pages both poetry
1
and prose.
The students of the University had every opportunity
of becoming acquainted with any
of the residents in or
near Glasgo\v who were disposed to show them hospitality,
and Tait had a special advantage in the fact that Sir
Archibald Campbell of Garscube, one of the chief
landed proprietors in the neighbourhood, was his uncle
and friend. 2 His Sundays were frequently spent at
Garscube, and he used himself to declare that, as a
matter of fact, he owed his *
Snell Exhibition/ not to
any merits of his own, but to the ready and profuse
hospitality shown at Sir Archibald s table to the College
If such was
Professors, in whose hands the election lay. 3
the case,
it must at least be admitted that the electors
were fortunate in the attainments of the nephew whom,
to please Sir Archibald/ they decided to send to Oxford
upon the foundation of John Snell. 4 Tait s career at
1 In a satirical account of the Debating Society which appears in the
Magazine, Tait is described as "a pale-looking youth, dressed in a singlebreasted
drab greatcoat, black and white check pantaloons, and an oilskin
cap."
- The somewhat confusing facts as to the Campbell family are as follows :
Mr. Hay Campbell of Succoth and Garscube (Archbishop Tait s grand
father, see p. 5) became in 1789 Lord President of the Court of Session, and
in accordance with Scottish custom took the title of * Lord Succoth during the
tenure of his office as a judge. On resigning his judicial office in 1808 he was
made a baronet, and, dropping the title of Lord Succoth, was known as Sir
Hay (or Islay) Campbell till his death in 1823. In 1809 his son Archibald
Campbell became a judge, and adopted the same official title (Lord Succoth)
as had been held by his father. On his father s death in 1823 he succeeded
to the baronetcy, and, having resigned his judgeship in 1824, he was known
as Sir Archibald Campbell till his death in 1846.
3 In a speech at a Balliol dinner many years afterwards he referred to it
as a process of "natural selection."
4
John Snell had, in 1679, founded certain
"
scholarships or exhibitions
for the further education, at Balliol Colledge, Oxford, of schollars borne and
educated in Scotland, who shall each of them have spent three years, or two
at the least, in the colledge of Glasgow." The scholars were to be recom
mended to the authorities at Oxford, by the Principal and Professors of
Glasgow.