George Wishart

George Wishart (also Wisehart; c. 15131 March 1546) was a Scottish Protestant Reformer and one of the early Protestant martyrs burned at the stake as a heretic. George Wishart was the son of James and brother of Sir John of Pitarrow, both ranking themselves on the side of the Reformers. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, then recently founded, and travelled afterwards on the Continent. It is thought that it was while he was abroad that he first turned attention to the study of the Reformed doctrines. He engaged for some time in teaching Greek at Montrose. Wishart afterwards proceeded to Cambridge and resided there for about six years, from 1538 to 1543. He returned to Scotland in the train of the Commissioners who had been appointed to arrange a marriage with Prince Edward and the Queen of Scots. He preached to the people with much acceptance at Montrose, Dundee, and throughout Ayrshire. On passing East to the Lothians, Wishart, who spoke latterly as in near prospect of death, was apprehended by Bothwell in the house of Cockburn, of Ormiston. He was carried captive to St. Andrews, where he was tried by a clerical Assembly, found guilty, and condemned as an obstinate heretic. The following day he was executed at the stake on Castle Green, his persecutor, Cardinal David Beaton or Bethune, looking on the scene from the windows of the castle, where he himself would be assassinated within three months. Life He belonged to a younger branch of the Wisharts of Pitarrow near Fordoun, Kincardineshire. His mother was Elizabeth, sister of Sir James Learmonth, married James Wishart of Pitarrow in April 1512. He was probably called George after his maternal grandfather of granduncle Prior George Leirmont, the name was certainly derived from his mother's family. George's father, James Wishart, died in May 1525, therefore, his mother, Elizabeth together with her brother, Sir James Learmonth of Balcomie, were the two people who were responsible for George's upbringing. Some have suggested that he may have graduated M.A., probably at King's College, Aberdeen, though others, including Wishart biographer Rev. Charles Rogers says that his name does not occur on the records of any Scottish college. He was certainly a student at the University of Leuven, from which he graduated in 1531. Around this time he translated the First Helvetic Confession into English from the Latin.