John Spottiswood

John Spottiswood (1510–1585) was a religious reformer in 16th century Scotland. Spottiswood went to London, where he imbibed the principles of the Reformation from Archbishop Cranmer. He returned to Scotland in 1543, and was presented by Sir James Sandilands of Calder in 1548. He joined the Reformers in 1560, and was one of six elected for drawing up the First Book of Discipline, and Confession of Faith. He became Superintendent of Lothian on 9 March 1561. In 1562 the parishioners complained to the General Assembly that Spottiswood's duties as Superintendent prevented him discharging all his duties of minister of the parish. The reply was that owing to the rarity of ministers it could not be otherwise, and that "the profit of many churches was to be preferred to the profit of one." He died on 5 December 1585. His son relates that he was " a man well esteemed for his piety and wisdom; loving and beloved of all persons, charitable to the poor, and careful above all things to give no man offence." Life John Spottiswood, (various spellings), was a Scots reformer and Church of Scotland superintendent for Lothian. He was born in 1510, the second son of William Spottiswood of Spottiswood (killed at Flodden in 1513), by Elizabeth Pringle, daughter of Henry Hop-Pringle of Torsonce, The family trace back to Robert Spottiswood who possessed the barony of Spottiswood, Berwickshire, in the reign of Alexander III. John Spottiswood was incorporated in the University of Glasgow in 1534, and graduated M.A. in 1536. He intended to study for the church, but the persecution of heretics in Glasgow gave him such a distaste for theology (Woodrow, Collections, i. 72) that in 1538 he went up to London with the intention of applying himself to some other business. Here, however, he came under the influence of Archbishop Cranmer, who admitted him to holy orders. He remained in London till 1543, when he returned with the Scots nobles taken prisoners at Solway Moss, residing mostly with the Earl of Glencairn. In 1544 he was employed by the Earl of Lennox in negotiations with Henry VIII relative to the marriage of Lennox to Lady Margaret Douglas, the king of England's niece. By Sir James Sandilands, a zealous reformer, he was in 1547 presented to the parsonage of Calder comitis (now divided into the parishes of Mid-Calder and West Calder).