Mijers - Scottish Students in The Netherlands Flashcards
Between 1650 - 1750, 1000s Scottish student, soldiers & merchants visited Dutch Provinces.
Estimated 5000 Scots pa on average
Result was diverse but predominantly male Scots community
4 distinct but overlapping groups;
» business community (bankers, merchants, skippers & sailors),
» soldiers & officers of Scots Brigade
» exiles (including ministers of Scottish churches)
» students
Distinct Scots communities led to sophisticated Scottish infrastructure which benefited intellecutal & educational exchange.
Students formed a community but were distinct from other groups of Scots because they were there voluntarily and often temporarily.
Paper is a quantitative analysis but numbers are indicative only. Exact numbers unlikely ever to be known.
Analysis based on uni matriculation lists & registers at 4 main unis; Leiden, Franeker, Gronigen & Utrecht. Scots presence peaked between 1681 & 1730; 1027 Scots matriculated at these 4 unis.
Leiden - est 1575. From 1582 - 1642, 79 Scots students matriculated.
Why go?
» Scots felt at home in another Protestant country.
» Large, existing Scots communities & networks made it cheaper & easier to get and stay there.
» Travel was relatively easy.
» Sending money was cheap & safe so study could be financed more easily than in many other countries
» Existing communities encourage other Scots & reassured students’ families. Tradition became one of overriding reasons for Dutch study.
» Dutch policy of religious toleration
» No oath of allegiance required for students
» Growing international reputation of Dutch unis
Compared to matriculations at 5 Scots unis; Edinburgh, Glsgow, St Andrews, King’s College & Marischal college, Dutcha unis = de facto 6th Scots uni.
Approx nos. matriculating 1681 - 1730 Edinburgh - 6500 Glasgow - 5000 Marischal - 2230 St Andrews - 1000 King's - 550
Leiden - peak of 13% all foreign students, 1701 - 1725
Many Scots never matriculated & some matriculated twice (same uni, different years, or different unis).
Matriculation lists not perfect source as contain errors eg latinised name spelling, omitted nationality
Subjects: Philosophy Law Medicine Theology
Rise in student nos. from 1650 explained by internal & external factors.
Civil war, interregnum, Stuart restoration - all casued increase in students forced into exile or leaving temporarily to escape religious upheaval.
Many exiles returned in late 1680s but student nos. remained high.
Other factors: difficult economic conditions in Scotland, reputation of Dutch scholars.
Marked fall in nos. in early 1700s explained by Union & following Jacobite unrest.
Prestige & status became increasingly important factors in choice of Dutch education. Profs in medicine & law drew large groups in 1720s & 30s.
Scots unis reformed on the Dutch model (when?) and nos. Scots students tailed off in later 1730s & 40s. Almost no Scots in matriculation lists after 1750.
Non-matriculating students:
» attended public lectures & private classes, dissections & chemistry or physics experiements.
Reasons for non-matriculation:
» keeping a low profile for political reasons, financial hardship, in exile, or
» visiting briefly eg one term as part of a Small or Grand Tour of Europe
» studying for ‘skills’ eg banking, trading, engineering, surveying or military tactics so attended ‘Illustrious Schools’ or served apprenticeships
Utrecht had special position - Duchess of Hamilton gave bursary to Glasgow Uni for theology students to spend a year at Utrecht & Leiden.
Grand Tour popularity rose in early C18 & more students visited more than one Dutch uni. Leiden & Groningen favoured combination in 1720s & 30s.
No. of medical students attended both Leiden & Utrecht. For this period, ratio of non-matric to matric students more likely 1.5 or 2:1
NB Matriculation lists don’t reflect actual student nos.
More impt uni was Leiden - 867 Scots students registered, 1681 - 1730.
Leiden at hear Dutch academic world. Most cosmopolitan; students from all over Protestant Europe & also European colonies.
By comparison, Utrecht, Franeker & Groningen attracted small numbers. (p309 for detail) suggesting individuals chose these unis for specific reasons.
Late C17, Franeker & esp Utrecht renowned for theology. Early C18, Franeker decline but Utrecht became centre for med ed. but still unable to keep pace with Leiden & nos declined after 1700 if not before.
Law faculty at Groningen gained international recognition in 1720s. Shift of aristocratic students from Leiden or Utrecht followed.
Rise in Scots doctoral students at Leiden from 1711 - 1730 reflected presence of famous Prof of Medicine Herman Boerhaave. Long-standing tradition of Scots medical students attending Leiden.
Edinburgh Medical School founded on Leiden model in 1720s
Which subjects?
» Law - most popular. Steady rise until 1st 1/4 C18. Drop in law only around Union but overall effect not significant
» Medicine - close 2nd (p311 for details)
1730s - student nos in all subjects fell significantly
Theology - different pattern
Many theologians = exiles & many exiles didn’t register at uni
1699-9 revolution & subsequent Presbyterian settlement had profound effect on numbers. All 4 Dutch unis attracted larger nos. students than matric lists suggest esp late C17.
Utrecht = preferred Uni for Scots theology students but disappeared after 1700. Hamilton bursaries seemed to have ended by early C18.
Leiden rose in popularity for theology around 1700.
Philosophy -
» almost all attended one or more colleges but very few matriculated or took 1st degrees at Dutch Uni, except small no. exiles.
» After 1690, no. declined further
» Curricular reforms in Scotland in later C17 offered better arts curriculum (ie preparation for higher degrees)
» Simultaneously, Dutch Unis separated humanities from maths & science courses so many dropped philosphy element.
Majority Scots students already had MAs from Scots Uni - or had spent time there - before doing abroad.
Few could afford a Dutch doctorate. Finishing studies in France or Italy was cheaper (contradicts earlier point about Netherlands being cheaper to get to & stay in??)
Degrees from France/italy were universally recognised. Dutch were not because of United Provinces’ political position (which was?)
For law and theology students, Scots faculty of advocates & Kirk had own entrance exams for Dutch doctorate was unecessary expense.
Conclusion from this = more impt to spend time at a Dutch uni than to get a Dutch degree.
Who were the students?
Most info about the intellecutal & political elite after 1688-9 revolution. Identity of c. 300 is known.
Student community in United Provinces was:
» mostly young men from landed or professional families with long-standing tradition of sending sons abroad
» aristocratic families from Edinburgh, Glasgow & Borders
» also merchants from Dundee & east coast Fife, Stirlng, Aberdeen, Highland lairds
Some went with tutors, some with other family members
During 1680s some all but forced abroad. After 1688-9, going to Netherlands more about tradition & prestige. Visit to one/more Dutch Unis was start of European tour.
Exiles & theology students favoured Utrecht & (less so) Franeker
Students with no religious association preferred Leiden
(After 1688, United Provinces no longer have for Scottish exiles).
Jacobites following Jame VII & II into exile favoured Catholic France, Italy & Southern Netherlands.
Prestige & social status could outweight academic excellence. For aristo stuents, Utrecht was choice in 1690s but in late 1720s, role usurped by Groningen.
On return to Scotland, students took different roles in society. Those exiles returning with William of Orange, bcm new Presbyterian establishment. Those with less religious zeal became professionals and academics - seen in high numbers joining Faculty of Advocates, RCPE and Glasgow Faculty of Phys & Surgeons
Impact of these students clear from offices they held.
Most Presbyterian exiles who returned in 1688 held political office eg c. 25% MPs had been in Dutch Republic. They were eg involved in Darien (including venture’s architect William Paterson), reform of Unis & their curricula.
By 1707 Scots Parliament had lost many Dutch-educated members, replaced by younger generation. Of 114 men in Union debate, 19 had been to Netherlands & not all were Scots.
Some prominent politicians educated at Dutch Uni were:
Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun
Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll
Earl of Bute
Lord Privy Seal (Stuart Mackenzie, Earl of Bute’s brother)
Study of civil law in United Provinces (UP) still through useful for a political education.
Many judges were Dutch educated as were > half Kirk’s moderators in 1690s
Scots students relied on Scottish network of sailors, merchants & bankers for daily business. Also had access to wider network of Scottish, Dutch & French contacts.
Fellow students, tutors, landlords, booksellers all contributed to intellectual development of Scots students.
Leith - Leiden crossing was most important
Leith = port of choice for Scots Brigade soldiers and merchants. Ships almost daily.
Other ports = east Fife, east Lothian & Borders. Also Glasgow, Ayr & Dunfries.
Quicker to sail from Leith a Dutch port than travel by carriage from Edinburgh to London
Crossing took 5 - 10 days depending on weather
C18 - increasing nos. left from London & Newcastle
Most students arrived in Holland or Zeeland, often Rotterdam (large Scottish community & was centre for Scots business from later C17).
Soldiers & Jacobites arrived in southern Netherlands
Scots Church in Rotterdam at heart Scots community
Students relied heavily on ‘2 pillars’ of Scottish community in Dutch Republic; church & merchants (p320).
Merchants were direct link with home, providing a postal service, accounts and credit.
2 ways to get money while abroad.
- Bills sent directly
- Letters of credit (recipient could cash money when required)
Both could be cashed with specific merchant who then charged his client in Scotland
But expensive - exchange rates, merchant’s commission.
Merchants also = immigrants most integrated into Dutch society.
Often acted as mediators between students & guardians, advised on books, tutors and which uni to attend.
Travel within UP could be slow (by canal). Shortest was Rotterdam to Leiden.
Students often lodged in same boarding houses as relatives or friends, or shared with other Scots (fellow students or tutors).
Scots students did mix with English & increasingly (after 1685) French communities.
University towns had large groups of foreigners. Innkeepers, landlords, tutors, language teachers, fencing/riding instructors came from many different countries & provided Scots with continental education outside academia.
Student contact with Dutch community was limited.
Few students learned Dutch.
Integrated exiles & merchants were more typical of C17.
Small no. ministers & soldiers settled permanently in UP and took Dutch nationality but continued to play traditional role in Scots Church, staple (?) & army regiments.
Student groups made up of:
» students in exile
» regular students
» aristocrats on Grand Tour.
Exiles preferred Utrecht with its long tradition of orthodox Protestantism. Town was staunchly Calvinist.
Tradition, family connections, geographical location & prestige often more important factors than academic reasons for Uni choice.
Most Scots students had always preferred Leiden as progressive & with reputation for excellence. City also had large no. Dutch & French booksellers and printers (incl Elsevier, the uni printer)
Leiden - close to the Hague (court) and Amsterdam (capital). Convenient for travel to other provinces & elsewhere in Europe.
