Andrew Knox (bishop)

Andrew Knox (1559 – 27 March 1633) was a Scottish churchman who was Bishop of the Isles in Scotland from 1605-1619 and Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland from 1610-1633.

Early life

He was the second son of John Knox of Ranfurly in Renfrewshire. He was educated at the University of Glasgow, where he graduated M.A. in 1579. In 1581 he was ordained minister of Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, and in 1581 was translated to the abbey church of Paisley. On 6 March 1590 he was appointed on a commission of select clergymen to promote subscription to the confession of faith and covenant over the whole kingdom.

In December 1592 he was instrumental in arresting George Kerr on the Isle of Cumray as he was on the point of sailing for Spain, and was thereby the means of bringing to light and frustrating the conspiracy of the Earls of Huntly, Errol, and Angus. In 1597 he was appointed a commissioner with others to seek out and apprehend Catholics and others in touch with the King of Spain. He accidentally caused the death by drowning of Hew Barclay of Ladyland, who had intended to capture and fortify Ailsa Craig; he was exonerated and commended by parliament.

Bishop of the Isles

Knox was involved in disputes with his fellow-citizens, and during the course of one of them struck an adversary, George Stewart, burgess of

David, Lord Scone

and hear the offers made by the inhabitants of the Isles and the Highlands on the royal rents. In January 1607 he was appointed constant moderator of the presbytery of the Isles, and on 4 June he took the oath of allegiance. His absence from his charge at Paisley meant that on 12 November 1607 he was relieved of his charge.

In accordance with King James's intention to reform the Western Isles and

Andrew Stuart, 3rd Lord Ochiltree, to take the matter in hand. In May he visited the King at Greenwich, and brought back instructions for a military expedition against the Isles, of which Lord Ochiltree was to be commander, assisted by a council, of which Knox was to be the head with a salary and bodyguard of his own. The expedition sailed early in August, and the castles of Dunivaig and Lochgorme in Islay having been surrendered by Angus Macdonald, Ochiltree opened a court at the castle of Aros in Mull on 15 August. The chieftains were reluctant to come to terms; Ochiltree, acting on the advice of Knox, had them visit him on board his vessel on pretence of a dinner and a sermon from the bishop. Having succeeded in kidnapping them, Ochiltree sailed to Glasgow. On his return Knox accompanied Ochiltree to London

, and was commended by the King for his zeal.

Knox was in February 1609 appointed one of a commission to negotiate with the chieftains for the purpose of devising a scheme for the religious settlement of the

Statutes of Icolmkill". He returned to Edinburgh

in September, but immediately proceeded to London. He seems to have been detained at court till the following July, when he returned to Edinburgh, and made formal re-delivery of the Band and Statutes of Icolmkill before the council. On 15 February 1610 he was appointed a member of the court of ecclesiastical high commission for the province of Glasgow, and on 8 May steward of the whole Western Isles, with instructions to make the castle of Dunivaig his headquarters.

Bishop of Raphoe

He was nominated to the

Isle of Barra

for life.

In 1614 the castle of Dunivaig was surprised by the Macdonalds, and Knox, attempting to retake it with insufficient force, was defeated and compelled to treat. He consented to solicit a lease of the Crown lands of Isla for Angus Oig Macdonald, together with the proprietary rights in the castle of Dunivaig, and a free pardon for all crimes up to date, and to leave his son Thomas and his nephew John Knox of Ranfurly as hostages for his good faith. The council, however, refused these terms, and prepared to reduce the Macdonalds by force.

Bishop Knox then advised deceit in dealing with the Macdonalds, with a view to the plantation of their lands by men from the north of Ireland and the west of Scotland. His approach was taken up in part by the

Sir Oliver Lambart

, captured Dunivaig.

Knox resigned the bishopric of the Isles in 1618, but continued as

Icolmkill

to Raphoe were by royal edict sent back by his successor, Bishop John Lesley.

Family

He married a cousin Elizabeth Knox, and by her he had three sons, Thomas, James, and George, and two daughters, Margaret, who married John Cunningham of Cambuskeith, son of James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn, and another, who married John Hamilton of Woodhall. The three sons took orders in the church.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Knox, Andrew". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.