Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose (1647–1720) was a Scottish scholar, minister and bishop. He was a Church of Scotland minister before becoming Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow and Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews. He rose to become Bishop of Moray and then Bishop of Edinburgh. He was responsible for failing to convince King William III of England that the Scottish bishops could be trusted, leading to the abolition of Episcopacy in Scotland. Rose continued as a nonjuring bishop, eventually becoming leader of the informal and embryonic Scottish Episcopal Church. Early life and career Alexander was born in either 1645 or 1646, a year that can be calculated because we know that he was 74 years old at his death in March 1720. The Rose family originally came from Kilravock near Inverness. His father had been Prior of Monymusk. He entered the University of Aberdeen for a Master of Arts, but moved to the University of Glasgow to study divinity under Dr. Gilbert Burnet, later Bishop of Salisbury. Rose was licensed to preach as a Church of Scotland minister by the Presbytery of Glasgow on 20 April 1670. He was ordained as "second Charge" minister of St John's Church in Perth in August 1672, but only after the town had unsuccessfully tried to secure the appointment of Alexander's uncle, Arthur Rose. He was promoted to "first charge" in 1678 in place of William Lindsay who had been chosen as Bishop of Dunkeld. In 1682 Alexander became Professor of Divinity at Glasgow, almost certainly with the help of his uncle, now Archbishop of Glasgow. On 22 October 1686 he got a royal presentation to be Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews. Bishop of Moray and Edinburgh Rose's career rise continued. In December of this year (1686), he was recommended by the king to be selected as the new Bishop of Moray. The royal mandate for his consecration was issued on 8 March 1687. However, before even taking possession of the diocese of Moray, he was translated to the diocese of Edinburgh, after his name had been put forward by Colin Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Balcarres. He was elected on 21 December, and despite the protests of some dissenting ministers, was appointed to the position on 31 December.