John Spottiswoode facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend John Spottiswoode |
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|---|---|
| Archbishop of St Andrews | |
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| Church | Church of Scotland |
| In Office | 1615–1639 |
| Predecessor | George Gledstanes |
| Successor | James Sharp |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 21 October 1610 by George Abbot |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1565 Mid Calder, West Lothian, Scotland |
| Died | 26 November 1639 (aged 74) London, England |
| Parents | John Spottiswood and Beatrix Crichton |
| Spouse | Rachel Lindsay |
| Children | John Spottiswoode, Robert Spottiswoode (1596-1646), Anne Spottiswoode |
John Spottiswoode (born 1565 – died 26 November 1639) was an important Scottish leader. He served as the Archbishop of St Andrews, which was the top church position in Scotland. He was also the Lord Chancellor, a very powerful government job. Besides his church and government roles, he was also a historian who wrote about Scotland's past.
Contents
John Spottiswoode's Early Life
John Spottiswoode was born in 1565 in a place called Greenbank in Mid Calder, West Lothian, Scotland. His father, also named John Spottiswood, was a minister and a church leader in the Lothian area.
John went to the University of Glasgow and finished his studies in 1581. After that, he followed in his father's footsteps and became a minister in Calder in 1583.
In 1601, he worked as a chaplain for Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox, who was a duke. He traveled with the duke on a special trip to the French royal court. He came back to Scotland in 1603.
When James VI and I became King of England as well as Scotland, John Spottiswoode went with him to England. The King then sent him back to Scotland to serve Anne of Denmark, the Queen, as her almoner. This meant he was in charge of giving money to the poor on her behalf. In the same year, he was chosen to be the Bishop of Glasgow. He officially became a bishop in London in October 1610.
Becoming a Church Leader
John Spottiswoode first became known as a strong supporter of the Presbyterian church. This church believed that all ministers should be equal. However, he slowly started to think that this idea caused problems. He believed that the church and the government would work better if they got along with the king.
Because of this, he was ready to help King James make the Church of Scotland more like the Church of England. This also meant reducing the power of the Scottish church, known as the Kirk, which sometimes challenged the king's authority.
In 1605, John Spottiswoode became a member of the Scottish Privy Council. This was a group of advisors to the king. In 1608, he worked with George Home, Earl of Dunbar to choose good ministers for churches in the Scottish Borders. This was part of King James's plan to bring peace to that area.
In 1610, he led a very important meeting called the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. At this meeting, the idea of all ministers being equal was changed. Later that year, on October 21, he officially became a bishop.
In 1614, he helped with the arrest and trial of John Ogilvie, who was later sentenced to death. In 1615, John Spottiswoode became the Archbishop of St Andrews. This made him the most important church leader in all of Scotland. In 1618, he helped pass the Five Articles of Perth, which were new rules for the church. These rules were officially approved by the Scottish Parliament in 1621.
Later Years and Challenges
In 1633, John Spottiswoode had the important job of crowning King Charles I at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. In 1635, he was given another very high position: Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He held this powerful government job until 1638.
John Spottiswoode also helped build Dairsie Old Church and rebuilt Dairsie Castle as a home for his family. You can still see his family crest inside and outside the castle today.
He didn't agree with a new prayer book that the king wanted to introduce. He thought it would cause problems. But when he couldn't stop it, he helped to make sure it was used. He was there when a riot happened at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on July 23, 1637. People were very angry about the new prayer book. He tried to calm things down, but it was too late. He realized that "all that we have been doing these thirty years past is thrown down at once."
He had to escape to Newcastle upon Tyne. On December 4, the church assembly removed him from his position. He died in London on November 26, 1639, and was buried in Westminster Abbey on December 2, 1639.
His Writings
John Spottiswoode wrote a book in 1620 called Refutatio libelli de regimine ecclesiae scoticanae. This was his answer to a book written by David Calderwood, another historian.
His most famous work was The History of the Church and State of Scotland, which was published after he died in 1655. This book shows that he did a lot of research. Even when he wrote about things that happened during his own lifetime, he tried to be fair and truthful. If you want to read about the other side of these events, you can look at Calderwood's History.
John Spottiswoode's Family
John Spottiswoode married Rachel, who was the daughter of David Lindsay, the Bishop of Ross. They had a daughter and two sons:
- Anne Spottiswoode
- Sir John Spottiswoode of Dairsie in Fife. He worked for Charles I of England when he was young and was made a knight by the King in 1621. His only son was:
- John, who was very loyal to the king. He joined James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in a fight and was captured with him. He was executed on May 21, 1650.
- Sir Robert (1596–1646), who was a high-ranking judge. He was captured in a battle in 1645 and executed on January 20, 1646.
See also
- Alexander Spotswood - a famous Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia. He was the grandson of Robert Spottiswoode and the great-grandson of Archbishop John Spottiswoode.
