The Madras College Archive
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The Madras College Archive |
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| The Tullis Medal of Madras College |
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The Tullis Medal was awarded to the Dux in Mathematics of Madras College,
St Andrews beginning in the 1870s. We give first a brief account of the
Tullis family. Let us begin with Robert Tullis (1775-1831) who was the
second son of William Tullis (1729-1791). Robert was born near St Andrews
and, although he probably had little formal education, in 1786 he became
an apprentice to Patrick Bower who was the Printer to the University of St
Andrews. In 1797 he moved to Cupar and set up the book selling business R.
Tullis & Company there. By 1803 he was also printing and publishing books
and, in 1808, was appointed as Printer to the University of St Andrews. In
1822 he began publishing the Fife Herald newspaper. He married Agnes Smith
in October 1804 and they had six children (a further two died in infancy).
The second of their surviving children was William Tullis (1807-1883) and
he, together with two of his brothers, was a student at the University of
St Andrews in the 1820s. He became a partner in R. Tullis & Company in
1845 and the Company expanded buying up two local paper mills and a
bleaching business. William Tullis married Agnes Russell (1817-1898) in
1846; they had no children. He was a well respected leading citizen in the
area, becoming a director of the Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway. He
was a follower of the economist Adam Smith and put his ideas into practice
in running R. Tullis & Company. He was also a friend of many members of
parliament, and renowned as a political reformer. William Tullis asked William Carstairs to design a medal to be known as the 'Tullis Medal' and he gave substantial funds to allow the making of a medal every year. William Carstairs wrote to William Tullis on 5 March 1870 enclosing his drawings for the 'Tullis Medal' for Madras College, St Andrews. The winner of the Tullis Medal was awarded a gold medal engraved with their name. The quality of the gold seems to have come down over the years. The 1886 Medal, awarded to Alan Cant, was 15 carat gold: "Tullis Medal (Madras College) Maltese cross shaped medal: on green ribbon. 15 carat gold, date mark 1886. 4.9 x 5.2 cm." Awarded to Alan Cant. In April 2013 the 1925 Tullis Medal was put up for sale. It had been awarded to Robert G Johnston but by this time the funds left by William Tullis could not have been sufficient to produce a 15 carat gold Medal each year since this Medal is 9 carat gold: "Madras College, St Andrews, Tullis Medal, a hollow gold award in the shape of a Maltese cross, globe, rev. arms engraved with rose, shamrock, thistle and a half-figure of St. Andrew with cross, named (Gained by Robert G. Johnston, 1924-5), stamped jd 9c, 50mm, 9ct, 28.13g. Extremely fine; clip and ring for suspension £250-300." |
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| In fact a few years before
Robert G. Johnston was Dux of Mathematics at Madras College, Ella
Carmichael was awarded the Tullis Medal in 1922. She donated her Tullis
Medal to Madras College and it is now known as the "Ella Carmichael Medal
for Mathematics". This Medal is currently, "Awarded to the most improved
Advanced Higher Candidate". The Medal must have been presented to the College by Ella Carmichael around 2003 since the first award was made in 2004. Here is a picture of this Medal: |
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