Charles MacDouall (1818-1883)
In 1847, Charles MacDouall was presented for induction as Professor of Hebrew by the Town Council of Edinburgh, but his appointment was vetoed on religious grounds by the Senatus Academicus.
Early Years
MacDouall was born near Edinburgh in 1813 and educated at the Royal High School. Entering Edinburgh University in 1826, he showed a particular gift for Greek along with Hebrew and other ancient languages. In 1843, he was licensed to preach in the Church of Scotland but was never ordained. Later that year, he joined the Free Church of Scotland which had been formed following the schism in the Church of Scotland known as the 'Disruption'. Almost a third of the clergy of the Church of Scotland and perhaps half its membership had left the established Kirk in protest against what they perceived as state efforts to undermine its spiritual independence and integrity.
MacDouall and the Chair of Hebrew
The majority of the Town Council of Edinburgh also joined the Free Church. In November 1847, in their capacity as patrons of the university, they presented MacDouall for induction as Professor of Hebrew, impressed by his merits as a scholar and as a teacher (both privately and at the Edinburgh Academy). As a Free Churchman, however, Macdouall could not sign the Westminster Confession of Faith which acknowledged the authority of the Church of Scotland. Strictly speaking, signing the Confession had been a prerequisite for all Professors of the University of Edinburgh since 1690 but, in practice, it was generally only required of members of the Faculty of Divinity. Hebrew was a Divinity chair, however, and on the motion of Principal John Lee (1779-1859), the Senatus Academicus now refused to receive MacDouall as Professor. The Town Council made a legal challenge to the Senatus's stance, but the Law Courts ruled in the Senatus's favour, granting a perpetual interdict against MacDouall. MacDouall stepped aside, publishing the lecture he had prepared as his inaugural address.
After Edinburgh
In 1849, MacDouall was appointed Regius Professor of Latin in Queen's College, Belfast, transferring to the Chair of Greek the following year. He held the Chair until 1878 until advancing blindness forced him to resign his duties. A comparative linguist, he published widely, dealing not only with ancient literatures but also with the legends and literature of the Middle Ages. He was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, England, and of Oriental societies in Greece, France, and Germany. Besides his academic achievements, he was an early supporter of higher education for women. At his death, he left his considerable library to Queen's College, Belfast.
Connected Events
Sources
- Sir Alexander Grant, The Story of the University of Edinburgh during its First Three Hundred Years, 2 vols (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1884)
- David F. Wright and Gary D. Badcock (eds), Disruption to Diversity: Edinburgh Divinity, 1846-1996 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1996)