Confidential | 19 Nov/59.
My dear Tyndal
I have been over to St Andrews today & saw Sir David Brewster.
The Court of Patrons of the University Chairs consists of Seven Curators—Four appointed by the Town Council, three by the University Court1—
The three latter will probably be Sir D. Brewster2 & the Assessor of the Lord Chancellor3 & Rector.4 I feel tolerably sure of getting the Town Council Men5 in your favour & went to see Sir David to find how far he was to be depended upon. He cordially promised to support you if you become a Candidate. The Assessor of the Lord Chancellor will be Sir John Melville6 & as he will owe his nomination to the representation of Sir David Brewster & myself, I think he will be inclined to support our Candidate. The Assessor of the Lord Rector is not yet known.
Your chances are therefore as good as they can be if you choose to become a Candidate7
Yours truly | Lyon Playfair
I do not think Forbes would much promote your Candidateship but I do not think he would actually oppose it. Sir David will resign about the 28th & Forbes take his Commission on the 30th.8 But no new Professor w[ould]d require to commence his labours before next November.
I should mention that there is a first rate Museum of Physical Apparatus attached to the Chair.
RI MS JT/1/P/120
RI MS JT/TYP/3/990
University Court: For the first meeting of the new University Court at Edinburgh University in 1859, the University Court consisted of: William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98), David Brewster (1781–1868), Francis Brown Douglas (1814–85), John Brown (1810–82), John Melville (1802–60), R.S. Grieve (N.D.), Edward Francis Maitland (1803–70), and Robert Christison (1797–1882). ( accessed June 22 2018).
Brewster: Brewster was acting in the role as Principal.
the Assessor of the Lord Chancellor: John Melville (see n. 6)
Rector: William Ewart Gladstone.
the Town Council Men: As part of the Universities (Scotland) Act, the role of the Town Council changed and they exercised less control over the university, as the university became self-governing.
Sir John Melville: John Melville (1802–60) was a prominent Scottish lawyer, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
if you choose to become a Candidate: Tyndall was considering if he wanted to be a candidate for the newly vacant Chair of Physics at the University of Edinburgh (see letter 1645, n. 3.), and Playfair was considering whether Tyndall would be appointed if he applied for the post.
Sir David will resign about the 28th & Forbes take his Commission on the 30th: see letter 1645, n. 2.
Please cite as “Tyndall1657,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on