An Introduction to W. M. Tweedie's 'Inaugural Address' of 1888

Abstract

In 1878, W.M. Tweedie, a son of the manse, entered Mount Allison Wesleyan College (now Mount Allison University) in Sackville, New Brunswick as one of eleven freshmen. After four years of study which included some mathematics, botany, and chemistry, in addition to Latin, Greek, rhetoric, and English language and literature, he graduated with a BA in 1882, having won prizes in philology and English literature. In the fall of that year it was announced that he had won a Gilchrist scholarship for university studies at Edinburgh or London. On 29 September, after a dinner in his honour complete with 'a gorgeous array of steaming fowls and rich pastrys' (Archibald Papers), he began his journey to England to matriculate at London University, then the leading centre for the study of English language and literature. He graduated from London with a second BA in 1884, having won prizes for English,Latin,and Anglo-Saxon.In 1885,1886,and 1887, he spent many months in Heidelberg, perfecting his knowledge of German, and in June of 1887 he successfully passed the London MA examinations in English and German languages and literatures and was awarded the degree.