Principal Sir James Donaldson : education and political patronage in Victorian Scotland

[摘要] This thesis evaluates the career of James Donaldson whose life spans thelong ascendancy of the Liberal Party in Scotland. Particular attention is accordedhis contribution to Scottish education - atprimary, secondary and Universitylevel - and the significance of political alignment in determining appointees tomany positions at this time. Donaldson's life illustrates how social mobilitycould be achieved in Victorian Scotland when the structure of Scottish societypresented features distinguishing it from that in England and which tended toseriously impede upward movement. Yet neither poverty nor illegitimacynecessarily proved insurmountable handicaps when ability attracted the benevolentinterest of men enjoying influence and connection in the educational world.Recognizing Donaldson s potential, men of established position ensuredhis appointment to positions worthy of his talents. This - patronage seekingnothing in return beyond the satisfaction of helping an able young man move aheaddespite a disadvantaged background - led on to the benefits of politicalpatronage which opened to Donaldson consequent on his friendship with LordRosebery. Such patronage, while securing positions for the favoured, was in thenature of reward for services rendered. Men like Professor John Blackie ensuredDonaldson's rise to the forefront of the professional middle class but it wasaccess to the influence and connections of the nobility which facilitated hispromotion from a rector - albeit of the most prestigious burgh school inScotland - to the much smaller academic world of the Scottish Universities andeffortlessly admitted him to the world of the still essentially landed aristocracywho with their interconnected webs of relationships and connections exercised adominating influence in the social and political life of Britain.From original sources not only is Donaldson's stature as a Scottisheducationalist for aperiod exceeding sixty years unequivocally establishedbut also the extent andimportance, formerly unappreciated, of his involvementin the high summer of Liberal politics.

[发布机构] University:University of St Andrews;Department:History (School of)

[效力级别] Education--Scotland--History--19th century

[关键词] Donaldson, James, Sir, 1831-1915;Education--Scotland--History--19th century;Patronage, Political--Scotland--History--19th century;Liberal Party (Great Britain)--History--19th century