RARE \"Colored Chalk Creator\" James Pillans Hand Written Letter For Sale

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RARE \"Colored Chalk Creator\" James Pillans Hand Written Letter:
$349.99

Up for sale a VERY RARE! RARE! "Colored Chalk Creator" James Pillans Hand Written Letter. 

ES-1387B

Prof James Pillans FRSE LLD

(1778–1864) was a Scottish classical scholar and educational reformer. He is

credited with inventing the blackboard, but more correctly was the inventor of coloured

chalk. The

son of James Pillans, he was born at Sheriff Brae in Leith in

April 1778. His father was a merchant and then a printer in Edinburgh, creating Pillans & Wilson. He was also an elder in the Anti-Burgher branch of the Scottish Secession Church,

of Adam Gib, and a liberal in politics. Pillans was educated at

the Royal High School,

Edinburgh, under Alexander Adam, of whom he

subsequently contributed a biography to the Encyclopædia Britannica.

He was second in the rector's class, after his close friend Francis Horner; another classmate was John Archibald Murray. His

father wished to apprentice him to a paper-stainer, but Pillans went on to

the University of Edinburgh,

where he graduated with an MA on 30 January 1801. He became a pupil of Andrew Dalzell, was influenced by Dugald Stewart, and attended the chemistry lectures of Joseph Black. He was a member of the "dialectic

society" founded by "Burgher" divinity students in the

University. After graduation he acted as tutor, first to Thomas Francis Kennedyat Dunure, Ayrshire, next in a family in Northumberland, where he

had the opportunity of speaking French. He then moved to Eton, as a private tutor. On

the death of Adam (13 December 1809), Pillans offered himself as a candidate

for the rectorship of the Edinburgh High School. With the support of Robert Blair, Lord Avontoun he

was chosen over Luke Fraser, the internal candidate, despite his Whig politics

which counted against him with the Tory town council. In January 1810 Pillans

entered on his duties in the old high school, on Infirmary Street, with a class

of 144 boys. At the outset he used the tawse,

which he later gave up. Pillans

introduced a version of the Bell–Lancaster monitorial system, and his class doubled its numbers. His

reputation attracted pupils from far and wide. Another Lancasterian at the High

School at this period was James Gray. Pillans

developed the teaching of classical Greek, which had been begun by Christison

in Adam's time; and encouraged the study of classical geography. His pupil John Brown

Patterson became known as a classical scholar; other pupils

were Robert Christison and Cosmo Nelson Innes.

 In 1820 the chair of "humanity and

laws" (in effect Latin) at the University of Edinburgh was vacated by the

death of Alexander Christison.

Pillans was elected his successor, and occupied the chair for over 53 years.

His position as Rector of the High School was filled by Aglionby Ross Carson. He

carried over some of the ideas which he had applied in the High School. He

still taught elementary Latin. He believed that universities should supply

elementary teaching in classics, and opposed, with Philip Kelland and others, the institution (May 1855) of

an entrance examination to the junior Greek class, though he was in favour of

an examination for admission to higher classes. He enlarged the conventional

range of classical authors proposed for study. Pillans

lectured on "universal grammar"

and the laws of the twelve tables.

A prize was awarded for English recitation,; among those who gained it

was Fox Maule, who joined the class when he was quartered with his

regiment in Edinburgh Castle. Pillans

was one of the first to teach the revised pronunciation of Latin,

though in practice he conformed to the usual Scottish way. 

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