Thomson Bursary
The Thomson Bursary (not to be confused with the Sir William Taylour Thomson bursaries) was established by the will of William Thomson, a former magistrate of Anstruther Wester. He left £700 to fund a bursary that would support a student from his own parish (ideally with the surname Thomson or Reid) to study at St Andrews. However, although he signed his will in 1790 and died c.1794, it was not until 1822 (after the death of his brother-in-law and nephew, who had a life-interest on the funds) that the bursary was first awarded. By the 1890s, it was worth £15 to £20 a year.