Assiento was the permission of the Spanish government to a foreign nation to import negro slaves from Africa into the Spanish colonies in America, for a limited time, on payment of certain duties. It was accorded to the Netherlands about 1552, to the Genoese in 1580, and to the French Guinea Company (afterwards the Assiento Company) in 1702. In 1713 the celebrated assiento treaty with Britain for thirty years was concluded at Utrecht. By this contract the British obtained the right to send yearly a ship of 500 tons, with all sorts of merchandise, to the Spanish colonies. This led to frequent abuses and contrabandtrade; acts of violence followed, and in 1739 a war broke out between the two powers. At the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, four years more were granted to the British; but in the Treaty of Madrid, two years later, 100,000 pounds sterling were promised for the relinquishment of the two remaining years, and the contract was annulled. Research Assiento
Burking is a form of murder involving killing the victim by pressure or other modes of suffocation so as to leave no mark of violence on the body. It was first known to be used by William Burke who was executed in 1829 after being detected and tried at Edinburgh, for the murder of numerous individuals. The vigilance with which the burying-grounds throughout the country were watched rendered a supply of subjects for anatomical schools almost altogether impracticable, and the demand for dead bodies consequently became great. This led William Burke, in conjunction with another named Hare, to decoy into their lodging-house and murder by strangulation many obscure wayfarers, whose bodies they sold to a school of anatomy at prices averaging from 8 to 14 pounds sterling. Research Burking
The Dick Bequest, was a bequest of over 100,000 pounds sterling left in 1828 by James Dick, a native of Morayshire, and latterly a merchant in London, for the encouragement of education in the parochial schools of the counties of Moray, Banff, and Aberdeen. In order to qualify for getting a share in the revenue of the fund, teachers had to pass a searching examination, and the amount received each year depended on the state of the schools, the subjects taught, etc. The sums distributed yearly thus varied considerably, the average for each teacher being about 30 pounds in 1905. Research Dick Bequest
The Free Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian church organized as a separate body from the Established Church in May, 1843. The Queen Anne Act of 1712, which restored patronage in Scotland, was for long the chronic cause of schism and discontent in the Scottish church, unwelcome clergymen often being appointed to church livings.
In 1834 the General Assembly passed a veto act, which declared that no minister should be intruded into a parishchurch against the will of the people, and that a majority of male heads of families, full members of the church, should be able to bar an obnoxious presentee. This act before long created litigation, and the ecclesiastical and civil powers came into conflict. The struggle was brought to an issue by the judgment of the House of Lords in 1842, affirming a decree of the Court of Session, which required the presbytery of Auchterarder to induct the presentee to Auchterarderparish without regard to the dissent of the parishioners. In May, 1843, the members of the General Assembly had been elected and were convened at Edinburgh, when the Reverend Dr. David Welsh, who had been moderator of the last Assembly, instead of constituting the meeting in the ordinary manner, rose and read a protest, pointing out that the civil courts had undue powers of interference with the Established Church, and concluding by asserting the right of the protesters, in the circumstances, to withdraw to a separate place of meeting for the purpose of taking steps on behalf of themselves and their adherents for separating in an orderly way from the Establishment, but still maintaining the Confession of Faith and Standards of the Church of Scotland as heretofore understood.
After reading this document the moderator and other members of Assembly, together with those adhering to them, withdrew to another place of meeting (the Tanfield Hall, Canonmills), and constituted themselves the Free Church of Scotland. They elected Dr. Chalmers as their moderator, and proceeded with the business before them. Although thus denuded of the temporal benefits of an establishment, they declared themselves to be the true national church of the Reformation, and did not object to the endowment and establishment of religion by the state. In later years, however, a decided majority of the Free Churchclergy gave up the doctrine of the lawfulness of the establishment of the church by the state, and became converts to the 'voluntary principle'. The deed of demission, or resignation of livings, was signed by 474 ministers and professors. A sustentation fund was instituted for the maintenance of the ministers, to be supplied by the voluntary offerings of the people. In the first year after the disruption the sum of 366,719 pounds sterling was contributed for the erection of churches, between 700 and 800 of which had to be provided for congregations which left the Establishment with their ministers. Colleges for the theological training of the ministry were subsequently erected in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, Schools were added to the churches in town and country, and normal schools for the training of teachers were instituted. In 1900 the Free Church joined the United Presbyterian Church (established in 1847 on the voluntary principle), to form the United Free Church of Scotland. A small minority of Free Church ministers and members refused to accept the union and claimed to be the true Free Church of Scotland, a claim which the law decided in their favour, the church property passing in accordance with the decision. The inability of the (new) Free Church to make full use of the churches - and other property thus assigned led to legislative interference
to a commission for allocation of property in 1905. Research Free Church of Scotland
The NCR Book Award for Non-Fiction is an annual UK book award founded 1987, awarded by NCRLtd, a computer and high-technology company. The first winner, in 1988, was David Thomson for 'Nairn in Darkness and Light'. The winner receives 25,000 pounds sterling. Research NCR Book Award for Non-Fiction
The Parsons' Case was a celebrated American legal case won by Patrick Henry in the November session of the Court of Hanover County, Virginia, in 1763. This case involved the constitutionality of the 'option law' or 'two penny act', passed by the Virginia Legislature in 1758. The operation of this act affected each parish minister, compelling him to receive the value of the 16,000 pounds of tobacco, due for his year's services, in paper money of the colony, amounting to 133 pounds instead of 400 pounds sterling, the selling value of the tobacco. The clergy appealed to the crown. The crown disallowed (vetoed) the law. Under this disallowance the Reverend James Maury having sued for damages, the court squarely adjudged the act to be no law, and decided for the plaintiff. A new trial was allowed on a demurrer, and Patrick Henry was retained a counsel for the defendant. His eloquence induced the jury, a picked jury, to return one penny damages for the plaintiff. Patrick Henry's success in the case made him an instant celebrity in America. Research Parsons' Case
The Susquehannah Company was a land company formed in 1754, chiefly of Connecticut farmers, for the colonization of the Wyoming country. By a treaty with the Five Nations, July 11th 1754, an enormous tract of country was purchased for 2000 pounds sterling. It began at the southern boundary of Connecticut and followed in a northerly direction the course of the Susquehannah to northern Pennsylvania. In 1785-1786 many disputes arose between the Susquehannah Company and the Pennsylvania claimants of the territory. This was called the Pennamite War. Research Susquehannah Company
Abraham Cowley was an English poet. He was born in 1618 at London and died in 1667. He was one of the metaphysical school of poets who followed John Donne in his use of far-fetched conceits. He published his first volume, Poetic Blossoms, at the age of fifteen. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1636, but was ejected as a royalist in 1643, and removed to St John's College, Oxford. He engaged actively in the royal cause, and when the queen was obliged to quit England, Abraham Cowley accompanied her. He was absent from his native country nearly ten years, and it was principally through him that the correspondence was maintained between the king and queen. On the Restoration he returned with the other royalists, and obtained the lease of a farm at Chertsey, held under the queen, by which his income was about 300 pounds sterling per annum. Abraham Cowley's poems have failed to maintain their ancient popularity, but he still holds a high position as a prosewriter and as an essayist. He took a considerable interest in science, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. His chief works are: Love's Riddle, a pastoralcomedy; Davideis, a scriptural epic; Naufragium Joculare; The Mistress, a collection of love verses; Pindarique Odes; Liber Plantarum; etc. Research Abraham Cowley
Andrew Carnegie was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was born at Dunfermline in 1835 and died in 1919. In May 1848 his parents left Dunfermline for America, settling in Pittsburgh. His prosperity began with the formation of the Pullman Palace Car Company which received a large contract from the Union Pacific Railroad; while Carnegie himself became manager of the Pittsburgh division of the PennsylvaniaRailroad, a position he held until after the civil war. After a visit to Scotland in 1868 he broke new ground by founding the Union Mills, Pittsburgh, for the manufacture of steel rails, which he noted were being preferred to those of iron. He also acquired the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, and in 1875 all the concerns in which he was interested were amalgamated under the title of 'Carnegie Brothers and Co'. In 1883 the HomesteadSteel Works were acquired, and along with several other works, were formed into one concern under the title 'The CarnegieSteel Company Limited'. Carnegie became very popular through his
benevolence, assisting the establishment of local libraries and church organs, paying class fees for students at Scottish universities and making donations to other universities and technical schools. In April 1905 he presented two million pounds sterling to provide pensions for teachers in American universities and colleges. Research Andrew Carnegie
Antoinette Sterling was an American singer. She was born in 1850 at Sterlingville, New York and died in 1904. She studied singing at New York and under Marchesi, Viardot Garcia and Manuel Garcia. In 1871 she became known in New York as a leading contralto concert singer. She made her first London appearance in 1873, thereafter remaining in England except to tour the USA in 1875 and Australia in 1893. Research Antoinette Sterling
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Assiento
