BIB_ID
405693
Accession number
MA 9064.25
Creator
Breadalbane, Alma Imogen Graham, Marchioness of 1854-1932.
Display Date
"Wednesday" [1895 October?].
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1908.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 18.0 x 11.3 cm
Notes
Acquired as part of a large collection of letters addressed to William Angus Knight, Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews and Wordsworth scholar. Items in the collection have been individually accessioned and cataloged.
The date of writing is simply given as Wednesday, however it is possible it was written in October 1895, the last year that George Sellars was enrolled at St. Andrews. The examinations appear to have been held in October. The letter which follows in this collection, MA 9064.26 informs Professor Knight that she has decided to remove Sellars from St. Andrews and is dated November 4, 1895.
The date of writing is simply given as Wednesday, however it is possible it was written in October 1895, the last year that George Sellars was enrolled at St. Andrews. The examinations appear to have been held in October. The letter which follows in this collection, MA 9064.26 informs Professor Knight that she has decided to remove Sellars from St. Andrews and is dated November 4, 1895.
Provenance
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan from William Angus Knight, 1908.
Summary
Concerning the failure of Sellars to pass his examination; saying "I hear today that stupid Boy Sellars has failed to pass his exam & his Bursary has very properly been removed from him - The consideration now is what to do with him? and I am writing this time to ask your advice - I think probably it will be best to remove him from St Andrews & get him some other opening - This I can do in an office in Edinburgh where he has been already during the Summer for 3 years - Of course I am disappointed in the result & am always rather reluctant to acknowledge defeat for a young fellow, w'h is apt to damage moral effort in the future - I have sent for him to come to Taymouth on Friday, & would venture to ask you to see him on Thursday & if possible find out the cause of his failure, & the view the Boy takes of it himself - This would help me in my ultimate decisions. I believe he is a good & plodding worker & I have given him the help of Waring - one of the promising students as a Coach during two terms - but it seems, without avail[.] I have never heard any complaints as to his diligence - on the contrary, have always received good reports as to that - so it must be want to actual ability w'h stands in his way."
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