William Leitch (scientist)

A serious accident confined Leitch to his room for many months at age 14, during which he studied mathematics and science. After the grammar school at Greenock, he attended the University of Glasgow and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honours in 1837. He followed this with a Master of Arts the next year, and became observatory assistant to Professor John Pringle Nichol, and lectured on astronomy. He then studied for two years at the university's Divinity Hall, and became a licensed minister of the Church of Scotland in 1839. ==Ministry==

Leitch stayed with the Kirk through the Disruption of 1843, when he was ordained and worked in the parish of Monimail, in the presbytery of Cupar for 16 years. During this time he worked with the church's Sabbath schools and became interested in popular education. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Glasgow University in 1860. ==University principal in Canada==

In 1859, two trustees of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario came to Scotland to find a successor to the retiring principal. Leitch accepted the post and moved to Ontario in October 1860. ==Notes==