The First Scientific Concept of Rockets for Space Travel by Robert Godwin Part 2

From The Space Library

Early Life and Posting to Canada

Rothesay

Leitch was born May 20th 1814 in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, located near Glasgow off the west coast of Scotland. William received the elements of his education at the Parish School of his native town, and completed his preparatory studies at the Grammar School of Greenock, under the superintendence of the distinguished scholar and expert in botany and fossil collecting, Dr. Thomas Brown. William’s later writings would suggest that he was keenly aware of the works of Laplace, Newton, Descartes, Darwin, Wollaston, Leverrier, Brewster, Young, Davy, Whewell, Herschel, Hansen and many others. His brother John was also a well-known scholar who socialized with some of the brightest men in Britain and translated scientific works into English.^[1]

In 1844 John Leitch had translated, from the German, a book by Karl Müller entitled “A Scientific System of Mythology”, the thirty year old William was a “subscriber” to his brother’s publication. The book was hailed as an important text in the understanding of the correlation between ancient societies and their mythological and religious creations. This subject would evidently fall close to Leitch’s heart because it presented some reconciliation between science and myth, as well as religion. This may have contributed to the extremely enlightened posture he carried with him for the rest of his life.

The same year that Jules Verne was born, an accident would befall the fourteen year-old William Leitch when he would tumble from the mast of a ship in Rothesay harbor. He was so gravely injured that he very nearly didn’t survive. His hip being fractured in multiple places he was bed-ridden for 18 months and when he finally arose he found himself to be permanently handicapped. However, his prolonged convalescence had one major benefit; it allowed him to immerse himself in the study of mathematics. A protracted illness would equally befall Tsiolkovsky, Goddard and Oberth in later years, also providing them room for intensive solitary study, but perhaps since the culprit in Leitch’s misfortune was not a disease, but gravity, he might have felt more inclined to understand his invisible nemesis!^[2]

Glasgow University

In 1831 Leitch entered the University of Glasgow and in 1837 he received his B.A.. The following year he acquired his M.A. and distinguished himself with honours in Mathematics and Science. During his time at Glasgow University he developed a keen interest in astronomy. He soon found himself working inside the University of Glasgow’s observatory as the assistant to the highly acclaimed astronomer John Pringle Nichol.^[3] The new observatory at Glasgow was built in late 1840 and the Nichol family moved there in spring 1841. It was destroyed by a hurricane in March 1845, but during that time Leitch learned the latest secrets of the astronomer’s art and became aware of the mechanics of our solar system.^[4]

Glasgow University Observatory ca. 1841

His friends at Glasgow included landscape painter Horatio McCulloch, the Dean of Argyll, and most importantly Norman Macleod, an up-and-coming minister. This group, along with Leitch’s brother John and several others, established an informal club which met regularly for “the interchange of wit, and of literary productions, whose chief merit was their absurdity.” In 1836 they published a satirical pamphlet titled, “Sparks of Promethean Fire; or Chips from the Thunderbolts of Jove.” Two of the poems contained therein were written by Macleod to honour his friend William Leitch, whose nickname was “Boss”. They were “Professor Boss’s Drinking-Song,” and “Invocation to Professor Boss, who fell into the Crater of Hecla.” Both can be found in Macleod’s memoirs and involve volcanoes, whales, Greek and Viking gods and many other amusing characters. ^[5]

Norman Macleod, Queen Victoria's Minister and Editor of Good Words magazine (ca. 1850)

Macleod was two years older than Leitch and was evidently considered suitable for the station of private tutor to the Sheriff of Yorkshire’s son. In this position he found himself introduced at the Weimar court before returning to Scotland to become one of Queen Victoria’s ministers at Balmoral. Macleod was also acquainted with Wordsworth, but he considered Leitch to be his best friend.^[6]

Leitch was a religious man, as were most of his peers, but he was struggling to reconcile the strict interpretations of scripture with what he could see through the telescope on a clear night. He studied Divinity and in 1838, after a four year curriculum, he was licensed to preach by the Church of Scotland from the Presbytery of Dunoon. He soon became a lecturer on mathematics and he would occasionally teach the astronomy class for Nichol and the Natural Philosophy (science) class for Dr William Meikleham. At this time both of these men were instructors of William Thomson, the future Lord Kelvin. The prodigy genius William Thomson was there until April of 1841 so it is entirely possible that Leitch may have been his part-time instructor. In his memoirs Kelvin referred to this time of his life as a “white era” because the instruction was so illuminating. By 1849 Kelvin would take over Meikleham’s post at Glasgow and would remain there until his death. ^[7]

Leitch also lectured at the prestigious Andersonian Institution, known for its genius founder who excelled in the science of ballistics.

Ministry

William Leitch ca. 1863

Around this time he was elevated to the position of assistant to the ministers in the parishes of Arbroath and Kirkden. By 1843 such was his stature he was presented by the Earl of Leven and Melville and ordained as the Minister of Monimail in the Presbytery of Cupar. ^[8] A description of his home later stated, “The gigantic telescope in his lobby, which his Monimail parishioners contemplated and spoke of with awe; his microscopes and other apparatus filling his study; the last scientific journal on his table; all gave indication that his was a mind that loved to keep abreast of the science of the day. Even when he took to keeping bees, the thing was done not as a recreation, but as a matter of science.” ^[9] The telescope had been given to him as a gift from his students in Glasgow. ^[10]

His articles appeared in “MacPhail’s Magazine,” Kitto’s “Journal of Sacred Literature,” “The Edinburgh Christian Magazine,” “The Scottish Review,” and most importantly in 1859 he was invited to write for a new magazine named “Good Words” being edited by his friend Norman Macleod. ^[11]

In 1846 Norman Macleod had presided at Leitch’s wedding to a Fifeshire girl named Euphemia Paterson. ^[12] The couple would have three sons and one daughter, but Euphemia would not live to see them grow-up. Two of their sons died while still infants and Euphemia would die in 1853 at the age of 32, leaving William as a single father to raise a four year-old and a five year-old.^[13]

In 1855 while still at Monimail he turned his attention to the world of Melittology; the science of bees. This worked in well with his understanding of botany and in that year he began to reach scientific conclusions about how the humble worker bee might be able to change into a queen, thus preserving the longevity of the hive. His paper was published in the London scientific journals that year. ^[14] On March 7th 1850 he delivered a lecture in the County Hall at Cupar on the latest discoveries made by Lord Rosse’s giant telescope. ^[15] In 1857 he published a long missive about the attitude of the East India Company towards the church missionaries in India.^[16] Between 1840 and 1860 Leitch wrote and lectured on a diverse range of topics, including artillery projectiles, and the Minié rifle. ^[17]

In September of 1858 Leitch took a three week trip around Europe at the invitation of Norman Macleod. They visited many of Macleod’s previous haunts in Germany, France, Switzerland and Holland. It was a melancholy nostalgic excursion for Macleod who reported that Leitch was always there to bolster his spirits. ^[18]

An Invitation to Canada

A year later Leitch had published enough papers and articles to be elevated to the Committee of the Church Union in Scotland. He would continue to rise in the ranks of the Church until the arrival in the summer of 1859 of two emissaries from the Queen’s College at Kingston, Ontario, in Canada. ^[19]

The Reverend Barclay and his companion Alexander Morris had travelled to Scotland from Toronto looking for a replacement to fill the position of Principal at Queens. Alexander Morris was highly placed in the confidence of John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada. On August 30th 1859 it appears that he met with Leitch in Edinburgh. A letter in Morris’ papers at the Toronto University Library indicates that Leitch was hesitant to come to Canada for “the teaching of dogmatic theology”, but evidently Morris was persuasive.

A letter from Alexander Morris to William Leitch urging him to come to Queen's University in Canada (August 1859)

Norman Macleod officially nominated Leitch for the prestigious position, due to his “high theological and scientific attainments, active missionary spirit, earnest Christian character, and urbanity of temper.” ^[20] The news at the time went on to state that he was “moreover, distinguished for his proficiency in astronomy and the natural sciences generally, having taught them in the University of Glasgow.” ^[21]

His friends encouraged him to take the position in Canada because they noticed how sad he had been since losing his wife and children. Less than three weeks after Morris spoke to him Leitch also lost his mentor, John Pringle Nichol, who died on September 19th at a convalescent home just a few hundred yards away from the Leitch family residence on the Isle of Bute. While pondering his decision Leitch began the composition of a series of articles on astronomy for Macleod’s upcoming magazine. This string of essays would be spread out over the period stretching from January of 1860 until December of 1862. Ultimately, at least one of these essays should earn him a distinguished place in the history of space travel.

In keeping with the esteem and high regard of his colleagues Leitch was given the degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Glasgow on May 7th 1860.^[22] Just over three weeks later his nomination for the post of Principal was approved by the Church in Scotland setting the wheels in motion for his journey to Canada.

Canada in 1860 was still very firmly a part of Victoria’s empire. In 1798 King George III of England had made a generous endowment of hundreds of thousands of acres of royal land to the people of Canada with the express purpose that the revenue generated from that land be used to create a robust system of education for all Canadians. By the 1830s most of the land had been sold and a vast sum of money was being held for the purpose of setting up seats of higher learning. When Leitch left for Canada in the autumn of 1860 he understood that he would be taking on the leading role at the Queen’s College, founded in the 1840s by the Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland. It was one of many such colleges, each established and run by different Christian denominations. The role of Principal had remained vacant at Queens for fourteen years and so Leitch’s arrival was anticipated with some enthusiasm.^[23] Click here for Part 3

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• Part 11

Footnotes

1. ^  ^{The Presbyterian Historical Almanac, 1864}
2. ^  ^{The Journal of Education for Lower Canada, Eighth Volume, 1864}
3. ^  ^{The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, Vol. 1, 1864}
4. ^  ^Ibid.
5. ^  ^{Memoir of Norman Macleod by Donald Macleod, Worthington, N.Y., 1876}
6. ^  ^Ibid.
7. ^  ^{The Life of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs by Silvanus Phillips Thompson, MacMillan, London, 1910}
8. ^  ^{The Presbyterian Historical Almanac, 1864. John Pringle Nichol had also been a major public figure in Cupar in the 1820s.}
9. ^ ^{Men of Fife by M.F. Conolly, Inglis & Jack, Edinburgh, 1866}
10. ^  ^{Fifeshire Journal, Nov. 11, 1861}
11. ^  ^{Memoir of Norman Macleod by Donald Macleod, Worthington, N.Y., 1876}
12. ^  ^{Wigtownshire Free Press May 21 1846}
13. ^  ^Ancestry.com
14. ^  ^{On the Development of Sex in Social Insects by William Leitch, British Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting September 1855, Murray, London, 1856}
15. ^  ^{Fifeshire Journal, Jan. 3, 1850}
16. ^  ^{Vindication General Assembly’s Resolution Accept Grants In Aid, As Offered In The Despatch Of The Honourable The Court Of Directors Of The East India Company, Of July 1854 by William Leitch, Macphail Edinburgh, 1857}
17. ^  ^{Men of Fife by M.F. Conolly, Inglis & Jack, Edinburgh, 1866}
18. ^  ^{Memoir of Norman Macleod by Donald Macleod, Worthington, N.Y., 1876}
19. ^  ^{Globe, Toronto, Dec. 13 1859}
20. ^  ^{The Bulletin Records and Proceedings of the Committee on Archives of the United Church of Canada, No. 9, United Church Publishing, 1956}
21. ^  ^{MacPhail’s Edinburgh Ecclesiastical Review, 1859}
22. ^  ^{Globe, Toronto, May 7, 1860}
23. ^  ^{Ibid. June 11, 1844}