George Gledstanes facts for kids

George Gledstanes (born around 1562, died 1615) was an important leader in the Church of Scotland during the 1600s. He became the Archbishop of St Andrews, which was a very high position, like a senior bishop, in the church.

Early Life and Education

George Gledstanes was born in Dundee, Scotland, sometime between 1560 and 1565. His father, Herbert Gladstanes, was a clerk and a local official in Dundee.

George went to the Dundee Grammar School and then studied at the University of St Andrews in 1576. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1580. After university, he probably continued his studies to become a minister under a famous teacher named Andrew Melville.

For a while, George worked as a language teacher in Montrose. By 1587, he became a minister in a place called St. Cyrus (also known as Ecclesgreig) in Kincardineshire. He also looked after the church in Aberluthnott (Marykirk). During his time there, he sometimes faced dangers, but his neighbors helped him stay safe.

Moving to St. Andrews

George Gledstanes was a member of the main meeting of the Church of Scotland in 1590. In 1592, King James VI appointed him to lead the church in Arbirlot in Forfarshire. He continued to be part of the church assembly in 1592 and 1595. In 1595, he was chosen to help the king pick two royal chaplains (ministers who serve the king).

Around this time, George also worked on several special groups set up by the church assembly to advise the king on church matters. The king was unhappy with the ministers in St. Andrews, so he removed them. He then brought George Gledstanes from Arbirlot to take their place. George started his new role in St. Andrews on July 11, 1597.

Rise in Church Leadership

In 1598, King James suggested that the church should have representatives in the Scottish Parliament. George Gledstanes strongly supported this idea in the church assembly. He was chosen as one of three church leaders to sit and vote in parliament on behalf of the ministry.

In July 1599, he became the vice-chancellor of the University of St. Andrews. On October 14, 1600, the king made him the bishop of Caithness. He took his seat in parliament as a bishop. When the local church group (synod) in Fife questioned him about using the title "Bishop" in 1601, he explained that he had to use it because the king insisted.

Working for the King

George Gledstanes remained a minister in St. Andrews even after becoming a bishop. The church assembly often asked him to work on important tasks, such as dealing with papists (Catholics), setting up new churches, and visiting local church areas.

On November 24, 1602, he became a member of the Privy Council of Scotland, which was a group of advisors to the king. After King James VI also became King of England, George was appointed in 1604 as one of the people working on uniting the two kingdoms.

Before traveling to London for this work, George and other church leaders in St. Andrews renewed their promise to the Scottish confession of faith. In London, on October 12, 1604, King James VI officially appointed him Archbishop of St Andrews. However, when he returned to Scotland, he was careful not to announce this right away, fearing how his fellow ministers would react. At a meeting in January 1605, he openly said he did not claim to be superior to them.

Challenges and Changes

George Gledstanes did not use the title "Archbishop of St. Andrews" for a long time. The king asked him to give up the old archbishop's home, the castle of St. Andrews, so it could be given to another nobleman. George agreed and received other properties and a pension in return. Later, the king bought the castle back for the archbishops, and George lived there for a while.

George Gledstanes had disagreements with Andrew Melville, a leading figure at the University of St. Andrews. Some believed the king brought George to St. Andrews specifically to keep an eye on Melville and prevent students from following Melville's ideas. There were many arguments between them. George even wrote to the king, asking him to send Melville away. The king eventually called Melville to London, and he was not allowed to return to St. Andrews.

In 1606, the church assembly, following the king's wishes, decided that there should be permanent leaders for local church groups. George Gledstanes was appointed the permanent leader for the St. Andrews group and the Fife synod. However, many ministers resisted this change. The king's council had to issue a special order for them to obey. Even with royal commissioners present, many ministers refused, saying they would rather face punishment than lose the church's freedom. Some leaders of this opposition were even put in prison.

Later Life and Death

George Gledstanes was a very active member of the Scottish government, attending meetings of the privy council and parliament. In 1609, he and King James had a disagreement about some traditional income of the archbishopric, but George humbly submitted to the king. He also traveled to London again in 1609, writing very flattering letters to the king.

A new church court, the court of high commission, was set up around this time, partly due to George's efforts. However, another bishop, John Spottiswoode, started to gain more favor with the king than George. In 1610, George asked the king to appoint him as the leader of the general assembly, but the king refused.

George often lived in Edinburgh, where he had a grand home and was surrounded by many ministers seeking his favor. The king gave bishops control over ministers' salaries and also gave them money. In 1610, King James gave George and Bishop Spotiswood a large sum of money to distribute among the members of the church assembly.

Although George was made a bishop in 1600, he had not been formally consecrated (made a bishop by other bishops). So, in November 1610, three other Scottish bishops were consecrated in London. When they returned, they consecrated George Gledstanes in St. Andrews on January 13, 1611, along with several others. After this, he lived in the castle of St. Andrews.

George Gledstanes remained Archbishop until his death on May 2, 1615, in St. Andrews. He was buried immediately in the local church. The king paid for a public funeral for him the following month.

His Legacy

George Gledstanes helped bring back the teaching of canon law (church law) at the University of St. Andrews, and he appointed his son-in-law to teach it. He also worked hard to bring back divinity degrees (degrees for studying religion) at the university. He asked the king for the rules to create doctors of divinity to encourage learning among the clergy. However, the king did not allow this until after George's death.

John Spottiswoode, who became Archbishop after George, described him as a smart man who spoke well and had many ideas, but was perhaps too easily influenced.

Family Life

George Gledstanes married Christian Durie, the daughter of a minister from Montrose. She lived until 1617. They had one son and three daughters. Their son, Alexander, became an archdeacon (another church official) in St. Andrews but was removed from his position in 1638.

One daughter married Sir John Wemyss, another married John Lyon, and the third daughter, Elizabeth, married Dr. George Haliburton around 1632. Their son, also named George, born in 1635, later became a bishop himself.