Robert Wishart
Encyclopedia
Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence
and a leading supporter of Robert Bruce
. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen the freedom of Scotland
and the freedom of the Scottish church were one and the same thing. His support for the national cause was to be of crucial importance at some critical times.
, a family of Norman-French origin. He was either the cousin or nephew of William Wishart
, Bishop of St. Andrews, a former Chancellor of Scotland. Wishart's first recorded office in the church was as archdeacon
of St. Andrews. He was appointed Bishop of Glasgow in 1273. As well as a churchman he became a prominent political figure during the reign of Alexander III
. After the death of Alexander in 1286 Wishart was one of a panel of six Guardians, appointed to take charge of national affairs for the infant Margaret, Maid of Norway
. Although he and his fellow Guardians signed the Treaty of Birgham
, which envisaged the future marriage of Margaret to Prince Edward
, the eldest son of Edward I
, King of England, their agreement was subject to the caveat that the treaty would do nothing to threaten the integrity of the Kingdom of Scotland.
The early death of the Maid in 1290 left no generally recognised heir to the throne of Scotland. With the country threatening to descend into a dynastic war between the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale
, the grandfather of the future king, and John Balliol
, Wishart was closely involved in all of the diplomatic negotiations with King Edward, invited to adjudicate between the rival claimants. When Edward insisted that he be recognised as Lord Paramount
of Scotland prior to giving decision in the matter, Wishart pointed out that 'the kingdom of Scotland is not held in tribute or homage to anyone save God alone.' Edward simply sidestepped these objections; and with no means of settling the question by any internal process, he was duly accepted as Overlord by Guardians and Claimants alike.
In the great feudal court held at Berwick-upon-Tweed
, Bruce and Balliol were allowed to appoint forty auditors each, with Wishart taking his place in the Bruce camp. He remained consistent in his support even when some of his fellow auditors voted for John Balliol, having the superior claim in feudal law. Even so, as a prominent churchman, he remained at the forefront of public affairs during the reign of King John, and was one of those who ratified the Franco-Scottish alliance-subsequently to be known as the Auld Alliance
, in February 1296. After Edward's conquest of Scotland he swore fealty to the English king, along with the other chief men of the realm.
, Bishop of Moray
, formed an important clerical foundation for the struggles of William Wallace
and Robert Bruce. They were patriots, but in two distinct senses of that term. The Scottish church had long guarded its own independent traditions within the universal church, resisting all attempts to subordinate it to the archdiocese of York
, and insisting that no intermediary come between it and Rome
. All attempts at dilution were resisted, causing Pope Nicholas IV
to censure the clergy in 1289 for objecting to the promotion of foreigners to ecclesiastical office in Scotland. Now Edward's conquest brought with it the prospect once again of submission to York or Canterbury
and the appointment of English clergy to vacant Scottish benefices. The hostile Lanercost Chronicle says of Wishart and those like him;
made his appearance, Wishart was among the early leaders of the rising against the English occupation. According to the Lanercost Chronicle it was he, along with James Stewart
, the High Steward of Scotland
, who prodded Wallace into action. Wishart's first rising came to a premature end in July 1297 when he surrendered to the English at Irvine
, but the ball was rolling and would not stop.
The rebel bishop was imprisoned for a time, swore his fealty to Edward anew, only to break it as soon as he was released. In May 1301 Edward himself wrote to Pope Boniface in an obvious mood of frustration, requesting Wishart's removal from the see
of Glasgow. Boniface would not consent to this, but he wrote to Wishart demanding that he desist in his opposition to Edward, and denouncing him as 'the prime mover and instigator of all the tumult and dissension which has risen between his dearest son in Christ
, Edward, King of England, and the Scots.' In the surrender of the patriotic party in February 1304 Wishart was initially condemned to banishment from Scotland for two or three years 'on account of the great evils he has caused.'
. It was an act of political rebellion: perhaps even more serious, it was an act of supreme sacrilege
. He now faced the future as an outlaw
and an excommunicate, an enemy of the state and the church. It was to be many years before the Pope was prepared to forgive him; but the support of Wishart and the other Scottish bishops was of inestimable importance at this moment of crisis.
Bruce went to Glasgow
, where he met Wishart, in whose diocese
the murder had been committed. Rather than excommunicate the miscreant, as church law demanded, Wishart immediately absolved him and urged his flock to rise in his support. He then accompanied Bruce to Scone
, the site of Scottish coronations of ages past, and there met his brother bishops of St. Andrews and Moray, as well as other prominent churchmen, in what gives the appearance of a well-arranged plan. Less than seven weeks after the killing in Dumfries, along with a number of prominent lay figures they all witnessed the coronation of King Robert I on 25 March. The country was immediately put on a war footing, with Wishart himself, despite his advancing years, being in the forefront of the preparations. The timber the English had given him to repair the bell tower of Glasgow Cathedral
was used for making siege engines, and he took personal charge of the assault on Cupar
Castle in Fife
, 'like a man of war', as the enemy later complained.
All these hopes and efforts were soon frustrated by the advance of an English army under Aymer de Valence
in the summer of 1306: Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Methven
, soon to be forced into hiding, and Wishart was captured at Cupar. He was taken south in chains, and incarcerated in an English dungeon, saved only from execution by his clerical orders. Edward was delighted with the capture of this 'traitor and rebel', and wrote to the Pope in September telling him that Wishart, along with William de Lamberton
, was being held in close confinement, and that custody of the see of Glasgow had been entrusted to Geoffery de Mowbray.
Wishart was to remain in prison for the next eight years, going blind in the course of his captivity. It was not until after King Robert's triumph at the Battle of Bannockburn
that he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. He returned to Scotland to live out his life in relative peace, finally dying in Glasgow in November 1316, 'indisputedly one of the great figures in the struggle for Scottish independence...the patron and friend of Wallace and Bruce, the persistent opponent of Plantagenet pretensions, an unheroic hero of the long war.' (Barrow, 1976, p. 372).
where he was Bishop
for much of his life. Tomb is unlabelled and has been defaced at some point, probably during the Reformation
.
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
and a leading supporter of Robert Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen the freedom of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the freedom of the Scottish church were one and the same thing. His support for the national cause was to be of crucial importance at some critical times.
Bishop and Guardian
Robert Wishart belongs to the Wisharts, or Wisehearts, of Pittarrow, KincardineshireKincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
, a family of Norman-French origin. He was either the cousin or nephew of William Wishart
William Wishart
William Wishart was a 13th century Bishop of St. Andrews. He was postulated to the see of St. Andrews while holding the position as Bishop-elect of Glasgow, which he resigned when, on 2 June 1271, he was elected to that vacant see. He was succeeded at Glasgow by his cousin , Robert Wishart...
, Bishop of St. Andrews, a former Chancellor of Scotland. Wishart's first recorded office in the church was as archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of St. Andrews. He was appointed Bishop of Glasgow in 1273. As well as a churchman he became a prominent political figure during the reign of Alexander III
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
. After the death of Alexander in 1286 Wishart was one of a panel of six Guardians, appointed to take charge of national affairs for the infant Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret , usually known as the Maid of Norway , sometimes known as Margaret of Scotland , was a Norwegian princess who was Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death...
. Although he and his fellow Guardians signed the Treaty of Birgham
Treaty of Birgham
The Treaty of Birgham, also referred to as the Treaty of Salisbury, comprised two treaties intended to secure the independence of Scotland after Alexander III died without issue in 1286....
, which envisaged the future marriage of Margaret to Prince Edward
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
, the eldest son of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, King of England, their agreement was subject to the caveat that the treaty would do nothing to threaten the integrity of the Kingdom of Scotland.
The early death of the Maid in 1290 left no generally recognised heir to the throne of Scotland. With the country threatening to descend into a dynastic war between the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale
Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale
Robert V de Brus , 5th Lord of Annandale , was a feudal lord, Justice and Constable of Scotland and England, a Regent of Scotland, and a leading competitor for the Scottish throne in 1290/92 in the Great Cause...
, the grandfather of the future king, and John Balliol
John of Scotland
John Balliol , known to the Scots as Toom Tabard , was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296.-Early life:Little of John's early life is known. He was born between 1248 and 1250 at an unknown location, possibilities include Galloway, Picardy and Barnard Castle, County Durham...
, Wishart was closely involved in all of the diplomatic negotiations with King Edward, invited to adjudicate between the rival claimants. When Edward insisted that he be recognised as Lord Paramount
Lord Paramount
Paramount , is the highest authority, or that being of the greatest importance...
of Scotland prior to giving decision in the matter, Wishart pointed out that 'the kingdom of Scotland is not held in tribute or homage to anyone save God alone.' Edward simply sidestepped these objections; and with no means of settling the question by any internal process, he was duly accepted as Overlord by Guardians and Claimants alike.
In the great feudal court held at Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, Bruce and Balliol were allowed to appoint forty auditors each, with Wishart taking his place in the Bruce camp. He remained consistent in his support even when some of his fellow auditors voted for John Balliol, having the superior claim in feudal law. Even so, as a prominent churchman, he remained at the forefront of public affairs during the reign of King John, and was one of those who ratified the Franco-Scottish alliance-subsequently to be known as the Auld Alliance
Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France. It played a significant role in the relations between Scotland, France and England from its beginning in 1295 until the 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh. The alliance was renewed by all the French and Scottish monarchs of that...
, in February 1296. After Edward's conquest of Scotland he swore fealty to the English king, along with the other chief men of the realm.
Independence and the Church
Almost from the outset, and in spite of his solemn oath to Edward, Wishart was involved in the struggle against the English occupation of Scotland. He along with William Lamberton, the Bishop of St. Andrews, and David de MoraviaDavid de Moravia
David de Moravia was Bishop of Moray during most of the First War of Scottish Independence. He was elected Bishop of Moray, probably in early 1299. Extended details exist regarding the election because of an extant letter of Pope Boniface VIII. The result of the election was that David had 13...
, Bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
, formed an important clerical foundation for the struggles of William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
and Robert Bruce. They were patriots, but in two distinct senses of that term. The Scottish church had long guarded its own independent traditions within the universal church, resisting all attempts to subordinate it to the archdiocese of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and insisting that no intermediary come between it and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. All attempts at dilution were resisted, causing Pope Nicholas IV
Pope Nicholas IV
Pope Nicholas IV , born Girolamo Masci, was Pope from February 22, 1288 to April 4, 1292. A Franciscan friar, he had been legate to the Greeks under Pope Gregory X in 1272, succeeded Bonaventure as Minister General of his religious order in 1274, was made Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede and...
to censure the clergy in 1289 for objecting to the promotion of foreigners to ecclesiastical office in Scotland. Now Edward's conquest brought with it the prospect once again of submission to York or Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and the appointment of English clergy to vacant Scottish benefices. The hostile Lanercost Chronicle says of Wishart and those like him;
- In like manner, as we know, that it is truly written, that evil priests are the cause of the people's ruin, so the ruin of the realm of Scotland had its source within the bosom of her church...for with one consent both those who discharged the office of prelate and those who were preachers, corrupted the ears and minds of the nobles, and commons, by advice and exhortation, both publicly and secretly, strirring them to enmity against the king and nation...declaring falsely that it was more justifiable to attack them than the SaracenSaracenSaracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
.
Wishart's Rising
In 1297, even before William WallaceWilliam Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
made his appearance, Wishart was among the early leaders of the rising against the English occupation. According to the Lanercost Chronicle it was he, along with James Stewart
James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland
James, 5th High Steward of Scotland was High Steward of Scotland and a Guardian of Scotland during the First Interregnum.-Birth and ancestry:...
, the High Steward of Scotland
High Steward of Scotland
The title of High Steward or Great Steward was given in the 12th century to Walter Fitzalan, whose descendants became the House of Stewart. In 1371, the last High Steward inherited the throne, and thereafter the title of High Steward of Scotland has been held as a subsidiary title to that of Duke...
, who prodded Wallace into action. Wishart's first rising came to a premature end in July 1297 when he surrendered to the English at Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, but the ball was rolling and would not stop.
The rebel bishop was imprisoned for a time, swore his fealty to Edward anew, only to break it as soon as he was released. In May 1301 Edward himself wrote to Pope Boniface in an obvious mood of frustration, requesting Wishart's removal from the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of Glasgow. Boniface would not consent to this, but he wrote to Wishart demanding that he desist in his opposition to Edward, and denouncing him as 'the prime mover and instigator of all the tumult and dissension which has risen between his dearest son in Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, Edward, King of England, and the Scots.' In the surrender of the patriotic party in February 1304 Wishart was initially condemned to banishment from Scotland for two or three years 'on account of the great evils he has caused.'
The Bishop and the Bruce
On 10 February 1306 Robert Bruce and a small party of supporters murdered John Comyn, a leading rival, in the Church of the Greyfriars in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
. It was an act of political rebellion: perhaps even more serious, it was an act of supreme sacrilege
Sacrilege
Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object. In a less proper sense, any transgression against the virtue of religion would be a sacrilege. It can come in the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things...
. He now faced the future as an outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and an excommunicate, an enemy of the state and the church. It was to be many years before the Pope was prepared to forgive him; but the support of Wishart and the other Scottish bishops was of inestimable importance at this moment of crisis.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where he met Wishart, in whose diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
the murder had been committed. Rather than excommunicate the miscreant, as church law demanded, Wishart immediately absolved him and urged his flock to rise in his support. He then accompanied Bruce to Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
, the site of Scottish coronations of ages past, and there met his brother bishops of St. Andrews and Moray, as well as other prominent churchmen, in what gives the appearance of a well-arranged plan. Less than seven weeks after the killing in Dumfries, along with a number of prominent lay figures they all witnessed the coronation of King Robert I on 25 March. The country was immediately put on a war footing, with Wishart himself, despite his advancing years, being in the forefront of the preparations. The timber the English had given him to repair the bell tower of Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral
The church commonly known as Glasgow Cathedral is the Church of Scotland High Kirk of Glasgow otherwise known as St. Mungo's Cathedral.The other cathedrals in Glasgow are:* The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew...
was used for making siege engines, and he took personal charge of the assault on Cupar
Cupar
Cupar is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town is situated between Dundee and the New Town of Glenrothes.According to a recent population estimate , Cupar had a population around 8,980 making the town the ninth largest settlement in Fife.-History:The town is believed to have...
Castle in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, 'like a man of war', as the enemy later complained.
All these hopes and efforts were soon frustrated by the advance of an English army under Aymer de Valence
Aymer de Valence
Aymer de Valence, also known as Aymer de Lusignan or Thelmar de Valence, was a Bishop of Winchester around 1250.-Life:...
in the summer of 1306: Bruce was defeated at the Battle of Methven
Battle of Methven
The Battle of Methven took place at Methven in Scotland in 1306, during the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Comyn's Death:In February 1306, Robert Bruce and a small party of his followers killed John Comyn, also known as the Red Comyn, before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries...
, soon to be forced into hiding, and Wishart was captured at Cupar. He was taken south in chains, and incarcerated in an English dungeon, saved only from execution by his clerical orders. Edward was delighted with the capture of this 'traitor and rebel', and wrote to the Pope in September telling him that Wishart, along with William de Lamberton
William de Lamberton
William de Lamberton, sometimes modernized as William Lamberton, was Bishop of St Andrews from 1297 until his death. Lamberton is renowned for his influential role during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He campaigned for the national cause under William Wallace and later Robert the Bruce...
, was being held in close confinement, and that custody of the see of Glasgow had been entrusted to Geoffery de Mowbray.
Wishart was to remain in prison for the next eight years, going blind in the course of his captivity. It was not until after King Robert's triumph at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
that he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. He returned to Scotland to live out his life in relative peace, finally dying in Glasgow in November 1316, 'indisputedly one of the great figures in the struggle for Scottish independence...the patron and friend of Wallace and Bruce, the persistent opponent of Plantagenet pretensions, an unheroic hero of the long war.' (Barrow, 1976, p. 372).
Final resting place
After his death in 1316 his body was entombed at the back of the crypt in Glasgow CathedralGlasgow Cathedral
The church commonly known as Glasgow Cathedral is the Church of Scotland High Kirk of Glasgow otherwise known as St. Mungo's Cathedral.The other cathedrals in Glasgow are:* The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew...
where he was Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
for much of his life. Tomb is unlabelled and has been defaced at some point, probably during the Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
.