Illuminated address from QCG to University of Glasgow, 1901
Item
Format
JPEG
Title
Illuminated address from QCG to University of Glasgow, 1901
Identifier
VHS0001
Depiction
Framed text with coloured symbols in the left-hand margin and, appended at the foot of the document, a dark blue ribbon bearing a seal
Description
Illuminated Address from Queen's College, Galway to the University of Glasgow in 1901 in honour of its Ninth Jubilee, viz. the 450th anniversary of its foundation in 1451. The Address, entirely in Latin and bearing the arms of each institution in the left-hand margin with the Seal of QCG on a dark blue ribbon appended at the foot, bears the signatures of Alexander Anderson (President 1899-1934 and Professor of Physics 1885-1934) and Edward Townsend (Registrar 1880-1910 and Professor of Engineering 1860-1910). The document was produced by James McConnell, Dublin. It is a unique item in the University's Archives, as no copy (even black-and-white) of such actual Addresses has been preserved here, although the texts of various Addresses to royal visitors are recorded in the Minutebooks.
The origin of the Address lay in an invitation to the College from the University of Glasgow, as set out in the Minutes of a meeting of the Corporate Body (comprising the President and Professors, since the Charter of 12.10.1863; previously, under the Charters of 1845 and 1849, comprising the President, Vice-President and Professors) of the College on 16.03.1901: 'The President read a letter which he had received from the Chancellor, University Court, and Senate of the University of Glasgow inviting this College to send Delegates to the ninth Jubilee of the Glasgow University on the 12 June 1901. The President and Professor Dixon were appointed Delegates'. Professor Alfred Cardew Dixon was Professor of Mathematics (1893-1901).
The beautiful Latin text in Classical mode - for example, the greeting S.P.D. (Salutem Plurimam Dicit) at the outset - would presumably have been composed by Philip Sandford, Professor of Latin (1890-1903). The text is reproduced below under the 'Text in Image' heading, but the following literal translation gives the flavour:
QUEEN'S COLLEGE AMONG THE GALWEGIANS SENDS CORDIAL GREETINGS TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GLASGOW UNIVERSITY.
BY YOUR GOOD WILL, very distinguished men, we also, having been called to take our share of the joy with which you are about to celebrate the four hundred and fiftieth birthday of that famous Academy, are gladly present and through men chosen from our Council -
Alex. Anderson, M.A. President
Alfred C. Dixon, Sc.D. Professor -
we congratulate you from the heart on your most remarkable services to the human race, (and) pray for you everything auspicious and fortunate for the ages hereafter.
Not the most unimportant reason furthermore that we, who recently scarcely ten lustrums* ago in the farthest shore of Ireland approached the cultivation of those studies which you have already through ninety lustrums* successfully adorned, are present at your secular** festival days; for a man most accomplished in the art of medicine, John Cleland, M.D., F.R.S., dear to both of us and honoured by both, who taught our students diligently for a long time, the same man now discharges similar duties among you with the same learning and with the same or even greater praise. This College therefore dares, as a youngest sister, to approach your ancient and renowned University with the utmost respect and to proclaim its devout prayers that it flourish forever and grow day by day. Farewell.
At the writing were present
Alexr Anderson President
Edwd Townsend Registrar
We gave (i.e. wrote) at Galway
Ides*** of May 1901
James McConnell Dublin
* A lustrum was a five-year period
** The term ‘secular’ here refers to a period of over 100 years
*** 15 May
(Transcription and translation by Séamus Mac Mathúna)
The John Cleland highlighted in the text was Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in Queen's College, Galway from 1863 to 1877 before resigning to take up the Chair of Anatomy in the University of Glasgow.
The origin of the Address lay in an invitation to the College from the University of Glasgow, as set out in the Minutes of a meeting of the Corporate Body (comprising the President and Professors, since the Charter of 12.10.1863; previously, under the Charters of 1845 and 1849, comprising the President, Vice-President and Professors) of the College on 16.03.1901: 'The President read a letter which he had received from the Chancellor, University Court, and Senate of the University of Glasgow inviting this College to send Delegates to the ninth Jubilee of the Glasgow University on the 12 June 1901. The President and Professor Dixon were appointed Delegates'. Professor Alfred Cardew Dixon was Professor of Mathematics (1893-1901).
The beautiful Latin text in Classical mode - for example, the greeting S.P.D. (Salutem Plurimam Dicit) at the outset - would presumably have been composed by Philip Sandford, Professor of Latin (1890-1903). The text is reproduced below under the 'Text in Image' heading, but the following literal translation gives the flavour:
QUEEN'S COLLEGE AMONG THE GALWEGIANS SENDS CORDIAL GREETINGS TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS GLASGOW UNIVERSITY.
BY YOUR GOOD WILL, very distinguished men, we also, having been called to take our share of the joy with which you are about to celebrate the four hundred and fiftieth birthday of that famous Academy, are gladly present and through men chosen from our Council -
Alex. Anderson, M.A. President
Alfred C. Dixon, Sc.D. Professor -
we congratulate you from the heart on your most remarkable services to the human race, (and) pray for you everything auspicious and fortunate for the ages hereafter.
Not the most unimportant reason furthermore that we, who recently scarcely ten lustrums* ago in the farthest shore of Ireland approached the cultivation of those studies which you have already through ninety lustrums* successfully adorned, are present at your secular** festival days; for a man most accomplished in the art of medicine, John Cleland, M.D., F.R.S., dear to both of us and honoured by both, who taught our students diligently for a long time, the same man now discharges similar duties among you with the same learning and with the same or even greater praise. This College therefore dares, as a youngest sister, to approach your ancient and renowned University with the utmost respect and to proclaim its devout prayers that it flourish forever and grow day by day. Farewell.
At the writing were present
Alexr Anderson President
Edwd Townsend Registrar
We gave (i.e. wrote) at Galway
Ides*** of May 1901
James McConnell Dublin
* A lustrum was a five-year period
** The term ‘secular’ here refers to a period of over 100 years
*** 15 May
(Transcription and translation by Séamus Mac Mathúna)
The John Cleland highlighted in the text was Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in Queen's College, Galway from 1863 to 1877 before resigning to take up the Chair of Anatomy in the University of Glasgow.
People
Alexander Anderson
Edward Townsend
Alfred Cardew Dixon
John Cleland
James McConnell
Edward Townsend
Alfred Cardew Dixon
John Cleland
James McConnell
References
Minutes of Meeting of Corporate Body of Queen's College, Galway on 16.03.1901
Contributor
Bibliographic Citation
S. Mac Mathúna, 'Illuminated Address from QCG to University of Glasgow, 1901', Visual History Retired Staff Collection, University of Galway Digital Collections, Asset Id 14565, Archival Record Id VHRS
Text in image
COLLEGIUM REGINALE APUD GALVIENSES
ILLUSTRISSIMAE UNIVERSITATI GLASGUENSI
S.P.D.
BENEVOLENTIA Vestra, Viri Amplissimi, nos quoque in gaudii partem vocati, quo natalem quadringentesimum quinquagesimum Academiae illius praeclarae celebraturi estis, laeti adsumus et per viros e Consilio nostro delectos -
Alex. Anderson, M.A. Praesidem
Alfred C. Dixon, Sc.D. Professorem -
de vestris in genus humanum insignissimis meritis ex animo gratulamur, omnia fausta felicia in saecula postera vobis precamur.
Haud levissima est causa quamobrem etiam nos qui nuper vix decem abhinc lustra in ultimo Hiberniae litore ad illa studia colenda accesserimus, quae vos per lustra iam nonaginta feliciter excoluistis, feriis vestris saecularibus intersimus; vir enim artis medicinae peritissimus, Johannes Cleland, M.D., F.R.S., utrisque nostrum carus utrisque honoratus, qui diu alumnos nostros naviter informabat, idem nunc apud vos eadem doctrina eademque vel maiore laude officiis similibus fungitur. Audet igitur hoc Collegium, ut soror minima, antiquam nobilemque Universitatem vestram summa observantia adire et pia vota nuncupare ut semper floreat et in dies crescat. Valete.
Scribendo adfuerunt
Alexr Anderson Praeses
Edwd Townsend Ab Actis
Dabamus Galviae
Id. Maiis, A.D. MCMI
James McConnell, Dublin
ILLUSTRISSIMAE UNIVERSITATI GLASGUENSI
S.P.D.
BENEVOLENTIA Vestra, Viri Amplissimi, nos quoque in gaudii partem vocati, quo natalem quadringentesimum quinquagesimum Academiae illius praeclarae celebraturi estis, laeti adsumus et per viros e Consilio nostro delectos -
Alex. Anderson, M.A. Praesidem
Alfred C. Dixon, Sc.D. Professorem -
de vestris in genus humanum insignissimis meritis ex animo gratulamur, omnia fausta felicia in saecula postera vobis precamur.
Haud levissima est causa quamobrem etiam nos qui nuper vix decem abhinc lustra in ultimo Hiberniae litore ad illa studia colenda accesserimus, quae vos per lustra iam nonaginta feliciter excoluistis, feriis vestris saecularibus intersimus; vir enim artis medicinae peritissimus, Johannes Cleland, M.D., F.R.S., utrisque nostrum carus utrisque honoratus, qui diu alumnos nostros naviter informabat, idem nunc apud vos eadem doctrina eademque vel maiore laude officiis similibus fungitur. Audet igitur hoc Collegium, ut soror minima, antiquam nobilemque Universitatem vestram summa observantia adire et pia vota nuncupare ut semper floreat et in dies crescat. Valete.
Scribendo adfuerunt
Alexr Anderson Praeses
Edwd Townsend Ab Actis
Dabamus Galviae
Id. Maiis, A.D. MCMI
James McConnell, Dublin
Spatial Coverage
Temporal Coverage
Period
1900s
Category
Colour
Off-campus
Indoors
Off-campus
Indoors
Language
Latin
English
English
Publisher
University of Galway Library
Rights
This image may be used for non-commercial purposes under CC BY-NC-SA see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Provenance
Framed copy of Address retrieved by Séamus Mac Mathúna from the archives of Oifig an Rúnaí for the Visual History Retired Staff Collection in 2023. A colour photograph and negative of the Address was sent to Séamus Mac Mathúna (Rúnaí agus Rúnaí um Ghnóthaí Acadúla) in April 1998 by Professor Sir Graeme Davies, Principal of the University of Glasgow, following a formal visit by Dr Patrick F. Fottrell (President, NUI Galway and a Doctoral graduate of the University of Glasgow) to the University of Glasgow in April 1998, accompanied by his senior management team; a reciprocal formal visit to NUI Galway by Professor Sir Graeme Davies (Principal, University of Glasgow), accompanied by his senior management team, took place in May 1998. The photograph was framed by Séamus Mac Mathúna for the University's Archives; the image reproduced here was developed from the negative by Martin Davitt, Davitt Photo Centre, Salthill in March 2024.