George Wishart (bishop)

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Bishop Wishart Monument (left), Holyrood Abbey.

George Wishart (1599–1671) was a Scottish

Episcopalian bishop and author.[1][2][3]

Life

All Saints Church, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Wishart was born in Haddington, the younger son of John Wishart of Logie-Wishart near Forfar, and grandson of Sir John Wishart of Wishart.

He was educated at the

minister at Monifieth in August 1624, and then moved to "second charge" in St Andrews in April 1626. Here he befriended James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose who was a student in St Andrews at that time. In 1634 St Andrews University awarded him a Doctor of Divinity.[4]

He was briefly minister of North Leith Parish Church, being appointed in 1638, but was deposed for his refusal to sign the Covenant.[5]

A strong supporter of

Royalists made half-hearted efforts to suppress it as being too inflammatory. He was freed after the Battle of Kilsyth. He played no part in Montrose's final campaign. In 1650 Montrose was executed with a copy of Wishart's biography tied around his neck.[6][7]

Little is known of his life in the decade after Montrose's death, but he is thought to have spent some time in the Netherlands, and completed a second volume of the Montrose biography. After the

consecrated as Bishop of Edinburgh. He died on 26 July 1671 and was buried at Holyrood Abbey
.

Little seems to be recorded about his character or personality, apart from his obvious devotion to his friend Montrose. Accusations about his drunkenness and profanity, which were made by his political opponents, cannot be verified.

Family

He married Margaret Ogilvy and they had at least nine children, three of whom died young. His daughter Jean married Rev William Walker, minister of North Berwick.

Publications

  • Memoirs of Montrose (in Latin, 1644, English translation 1652)

Notes

  1. ^ "The history of the Church of Scotland : from the Reformation to the present time" Thomas,S: London, John Lendrum, 1843
  2. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29794. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. ^ Res gestae (Amsterdam, 1647), published in English as Memoirs of the Most Renowned James Graham, Marquis of Montrose
  4. ^ Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; vol. 7; by Hew Scott
  5. ^ Cassell's Old and New Edinburgh; vol. 6, p.244
  6. ^ Rampant Scotland
  7. ^ Family website
Church of Scotland titles
Preceded by
See abolished
 Bishop of Edinburgh
1662 –1671 		Succeeded by
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