John Hamilton (archbishop)

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For other persons named John Hamilton, see John Hamilton (disambiguation).

John Hamilton (c. 1511 – April 6, 1571), Scottish prelate and politician, was a natural son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran.

At a very early age he became a monk and Abbot of Paisley, and after studying in Paris he returned to Scotland, where he soon rose to a position of power and influence under his hall-brother, the regent Arran. He was made Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1543 and bishop of Dunkeld two years later; in 1546 he followed David Beaton as archbishop of St Andrews, and about the same time he became treasurer of the kingdom.

He made vigorous efforts to stay the growth of Protestantism, but with one or two exceptions persecution was not the policy of Archbishop Hamilton, and in the interests of the Roman Catholic religion a catechism called Hamilton's Catechism (published with an introduction by TG Law in 1884) was drawn up and printed, possibly at his instigation.

Having incurred the displeasure of the Protestants, now the dominant party in Scotland, the archbishop was imprisoned in 1563. After his release he was an active partisan of Mary queen of Scots; he baptised the infant James, afterwards King James VI, and pronounced the divorce of the queen from Bothwell.

He was present at the Battle of Langside, and some time later took refuge in Dumbarton Castle. Here he was seized, and on the charge of being concerned in the murders of Lord Darnley and the regent Murray he was tried, and hanged on the 6th of April 1571. The archbishop had three children by his mistress, Grizzel Sempill.

[edit] Reference

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Political offices
Preceded by: David Beaton	Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland 1542–1547	Succeeded by: William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven
Religious Posts
Preceded by: George Crichton	Bishop of Dunkeld 1544/6–1547	Succeeded by: Robert Crichton
Preceded by: David Beaton	Archbishop of St. Andrews 1547/9–1571	Succeeded by: Gavin Hamilton