The Queen who secured UofG's future

Mary Queen of Scots is best known as a monarch, but her support helped secure the future of UofG and established some of our earliest scholarships.

Mary Queen of Scots is remembered for her tragic life and rivalry with Elizabeth I, but few know she also played a vital role in securing the future of one of the world’s oldest universities.

As the University of Glasgow celebrates its 575th anniversary this year, it is looking back at a pivotal moment in its history, when its very survival depended on the intervention of one of Scotland’s most famous monarchs.

When Mary visited Glasgow in 1563, just over a century after the University’s foundation, she was shocked by what she found. The institution was in a state of disrepair, its buildings damaged and its resources depleted. In her own words, it “apperit rather to be the decay of ane Vniversitie”.

The years before Mary’s visit had been so difficult that the University was on the cusp of financial ruin.

Professor Steven Reid, Professor of Early Modern Scottish History and Culture and a leading historian on Mary Queen of Scots, said: “In the 1550s, matriculation had dropped to its lowest level of all time at the University of Glasgow. All members of staff bar two - the Principal and a teaching assistant - fled at the Reformation, taking with them the University mace and documentation. The University was on the brink of collapse.”

Determined to act, Mary granted the University money, land and food, support that proved critical to its survival. Her charter, dated 13 July 1563 and still held in the University’s collections, records the details:

“This charter was one of only a few grants that gave the University the financial shot in the arm to allow it to survive,” said Professor Reid.

But Mary’s support wasn’t just about keeping the lights on, it was about widening access to higher education opportunities. She funded five bursaries for poor scholars, with the oatmeal intended to feed them.

Known as the Bursars of the Queen Mary’s Foundation, they represent an early example of the University’s long-standing commitment to helping talented students succeed regardless of background.

Her intervention had lasting effects. In 1567, Mary made a further land grant and by the early 1570s, the town council charter increased bursaries to 12. By 1577, when the Nova Erectio, a charter reforming the University’s administration and curriculum, was issued by Mary’s son James VI, Glasgow’s future was far more secure.

Mary is one of the earliest figures in a long tradition of support for widening access to education at Glasgow. Thanks to the continued generosity and beneficence of philanthropic donors, Glasgow today is able to support more learners than ever from widening access backgrounds to enter and flourish at the University.

Since 2007, the Talent Scholarship scheme has awarded 50+ undergraduate scholarships annually to those most in financial need, making study at Glasgow a possibility. Postgraduate scholarships were added in 2016 as the University looked to make all levels of study accessible.

These have been augmented over the years by other awards, such as Sanctuary Scholarships and Travel Bursaries, in an effort to remove financial barriers from as many learners as possible. Philanthropic donations also fund other areas central to the University’s widening access approaches such as its IntoUniversity centres in Govan and Maryhill and successful student transition into the University.

Hannah Watters, Vice President of the University of Glasgow Students’ Representative Council, said: “The principle behind the Bursars of the Queen Mary Foundation remains as relevant today as it was over 450 years ago: that talented students should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.

“Our work on Widening Participation continues to be vital in ensuring that students can not only access higher education, but thrive during their time at university. Mary’s legacy reminds us that investing in students changes lives, strengthens our university community and creates opportunities for future generations.”

Professor Andy Schofield, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “The University of Glasgow’s history is truly remarkable. Mary Queen of Scots recognised that the future of the University depended on creating opportunity and investing in talented people.

“Over 450 years later, that principle remains central to who we are. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are continuing Mary’s legacy by creating opportunities for students from all backgrounds to realise their potential, succeed at Glasgow and make meaningful contributions to society.”

Today the University is home to a world-leading collection of manuscripts, books and objects relating to her life and over the last decade Professor Reid has co-led a major research project which explored her reputation, legacy and depiction of Mary Queen of Scots in popular culture.

Professor Reid added: “Mary’s support wasn’t just financial for the University. She helped ensure that Glasgow would remain a centre of learning for generations to come.”