Collection of Thomas Bower

Thomas Bower was made Regius Professor of Mathematics at King's College, Aberdeen in 1703 and resigned in 1717. He attended College meetings in 1711, arguing with the Principal over his right, as a professor confirmed by Parliament, to vote in them, particularly at the election of a new regent. Bower took his case to the Lords of Session in Edinburgh, despite a warning from the Principal that this would bring a counter action against him as 'a raiser of factions and disturber of the peace'. The Lords found in Bower's favour but the Principal refused to accept defeat appealing repeatedly and unsuccessfully against their judgment and eventually taking the case to the Queen and Parliament. The argument was brought to an end by the events of the 1715 rebellion following which the Principal was deposed. Bower himself failed to appear before the Commission of 1716-17 who recorded that he had not been in Aberdeen 'this three years past'. He did not return to Aberdeen, Scotland and finally demitted in 1717. The Scottish Parliament at this time was indebted to Bower as he, with James Gregory, Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh, had been responsible for calculating the Equivalent in preparation for the Union of Parliaments, the Equivalent being the compensation paid to Scotland to offset extra taxes etc. [Source: http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Extras/Aberdeen_2.html] Contents: 'A Letter from Sir R S to Dr Archibald Pitcairn' and 'A Letter from Dr James Walkinshaw to Sir Robert Sibbald', 1709

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