The Berry Bequest (1889-)
The Berry bequest of £100,000 was left to the University of St Andrews by Scots-Australian millionaire David Berry, in recognition of the wishes of his elder brother Alexander Berry, who had been educated here. David…
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David Berry (1795–1889)
David Berry (1795–1889) came from a Cupar farming family, and became Australia’s first millionaire. In 1836, he (and two other brothers and two sisters) emigrated to join their older brother Alexander in New South…
Alexander Berry (1781-1873)
Alexander Berry (1781-1873) was born on 30 November 1781, to a Cupar farming family. He attended Cupar Grammar School, then studied at the University of St Andrews from 1796-1798, followed by a year studying medicine…
John Hay (1840-1909)
In 1896, John Hay gave £5,000 to enable the University to buy the house known as Scores Park, to become the official residence of the Principal of the University. Hay had become well-known to the University of St…
University House
The role of ‘Principal of the University’ (as against the principals of the two colleges) was created in 1890. The first holder was James Donaldson (1831-1915), who had been Principal of the United College since 1886.…
The colonial ambitions of Principal George Hill, by Maia Sheridan
By all accounts, George Hill (1750-1819), principal of St Mary’s College in the University of St Andrews, and Church of Scotland minister, was affable, intelligent and eloquent. He is remembered as an influential…
Margaret Tyndall Bruce (c.1780-1869) of Falkland and India, by Sarah Leith
In March 1828, Susan Elizabeth Low, of Clatto House, near Blebo Craigs, Fife, wrote to her son, Peter Low, with news about a recent marriage in the county: Our great Fife heiress, Miss Bruce of Falkland, is married to…
Hugh Cleghorn (1752–1836), slavery and Sri Lanka, by Richard Whatmore
Hugh Cleghorn was Professor of Civil History at the University of St Andrews from 1773 to 1793. His lectures addressed contemporary questions about empire and slavery. He later became colonial secretary at Ceylon (Sri…
International businessmen: the firm of Chalmers & Guthrie (1788-1897), by Matthew Ylitalo
The story behind the Guthrie Scholarship and Cheape Bursaries at the University of St Andrews is one of interconnected influential families, immense business wealth, and exploitative imperial labour systems. In 1865,…
Student attitudes to slavery and empire in the mid-19th century, by Rachel Hart
What did the students at St Andrews in the nineteenth century think about slavery, colonialism and empire? Unless they wrote or spoke publicly about it, it’s difficult to say… The archives of the University tend to be…