William Wishart facts for kids

William Wishart (also spelled Wischard) was an important church leader in Scotland during the 1200s. He became the Bishop of St Andrews, which was a very significant position in the Catholic Church at that time. He was known for his role in the church's leadership during a period of change in Scotland.

William Wishart's Journey to Leadership

William Wishart was first chosen to be the Bishop of Glasgow. This was an important step in his church career. However, he did not stay in that role for long.

On June 2, 1271, William was elected to become the Bishop of St Andrews. He then gave up his position as Bishop-elect of Glasgow. His cousin, Robert Wishart, took over the role in Glasgow.

Becoming Bishop of St Andrews

William's election to the St Andrews position was quite interesting. It seems that a local religious group, called the Céli Dé community, was not included in the election process. This made the election a bit unusual.

Pope Gregory X heard about this and wanted to make sure everything was fair. He asked three other bishops – the Bishop of Moray, the Bishop of Aberdeen, and the Bishop of Argyll – to check on William. They also had to investigate if the election was done correctly, as the Pope had some questions.

Even with these investigations, William was approved for the role. He was officially consecrated as Bishop of St Andrews on October 15, 1273, at a place called Scone.

Later Life and Death

William Wishart served as Bishop of St Andrews for several years. He passed away on May 28, 1279. He died in a place called Morebattle in Teviotdale, Scotland.

After his death, William Wishart was buried in St Andrews. His time as bishop was an important part of Scottish church history in the 13th century.