2015
NJ9408 : Henry Scougall memorial, King's College, Aberdeen
taken 9 years ago, near to Old Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Henry Scougall memorial, King's College, Aberdeen
Memorial to Henry Scougall, professor of philosophy and divinity at King's College, who died in 1678, aged only 27. The blazon is: Argent, on a chevron sable, a human eye proper, in base a cinquefoil azure, in chief a crescent of the Second. Upon an helm befitting his degree a wreath of the liveries, and set for crest a talbot's head couped sable, with this motto CONFIDO SED CAVEO (I trust but I am cautious). These arms do not appear in standard reference works and heraldic expert Gordon Casely suggests that they were un-matriculated (or in everyday language, made up). The text translated reads: Consecrate to memory: Henry Scougal, son to the reverend father in God, Patrick Bishop of Aberdeen, was professor of philosophy for the space of four years, in this the King's College, and as many years professor of divinity there; an intermediate year being minister at the church of Auchterless, learned, performed and taught many things in the course of so short a life; and being most desirous of heaven and ripe for heaven, he died in the year of our Lord 1678. Of his age 28, and here laid down the spoils or robes of his mortality. See p. 127 of Collection of Epitaphs and Monumental Inscriptions, chiefly in Scotland by D Macvean (publ. Glasgow 1834; available from archive.org). Scougall's life is described in Lives of Eminent Men of Aberdeen by James Bruce (publ. Aberdeen, 1841; available from archive.org). As well as his long and inspiring sermons, the strange tale of his affair with a married woman is told. To avoid the scandal, he shut himself away in the tower of St Machar Cathedral and died there. He was so fat that the some of the masonry of the tower had to be removed to extract his body.
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