George ‘the Scottish martyr‘ Wishart

George Wishart (c. 1513 – 1 March 1546) was a Scottish Protestant Reformer and one of the early Protestant martyrs burned at the stake as a heretic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wishart

Family

George Wishart or Wisehart was the son of James and brother of Sir John of Pitarrow, both ranking themselves on the side of the Reformers.

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, Eliyabeth together with her brother, Sir James Learmont of Balcomie, were the two people who were responsible for George's upbringing.[3]

Martyrdom

His career as an itinerant preacher began in 1544, from when he traveled Scotland from east to west. The story has been told by his disciple John Knox. He went from place to place, in danger of his life, denouncing the errors of the Papacy and the abuses in the churches of Montrose, Dundee (where he escaped an attempt on his life), Ayr, Perth, Edinburgh, Leith, Haddington (where Knox accompanied him) and elsewhere.[5]

At Ormiston in East Lothian, in January 1546, he was seized by Lord Bothwell on the orders of Cardinal Beaton, taken to Elphinstone Castle, and transferred by order of the privy council to Edinburgh castle on 19 January 1546. Thence he was handed over to Beaton, who had a "show trial", with John Lauder prosecuting Wishart. He was hanged on a gibbet and his body burned at St Andrews on 1 March 1546. Foxe and Knox attribute to him a prophecy of the death of the Cardinal, who was assassinated on 29 May following, partly in revenge for Wishart's death.[5]

http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/ww/wishart1.php

• (1) ?? John Wischard (a 1384)
  • (A) Sir John Wyschard, 1st of Pittarrow (d c1409)
    • (i) Sir John Wyschart, 2nd of Pittarrow (a 1442) m. Janet Ochterlony
      • (a) James Wyschart of Pittarrow (d 06.1491, 2nd son ?)
        • ((1)) John Wyschart of Pittarrow m. Jonet Lindsay (of Edzell)
          • ((A)) Sir James Wyschart of Pittarrow (d before 06.1525) m1. Janet Lindsay
            • ((i)) John Wyschart of Pittarrow (dsp unm)
            • ((ii)) James Wyschart of Carnebeg
            • ((iii)) Janet Wishart -- m. James Durham, 2nd of Pittkerrow (d by 1620) --
            • ((iv)) daughter m. George Leslie of Pitnamoon
          • m2. (before 30.04.1512) Elizabeth Learmont (d by 1532, probably dau of Robert Learmont of Clatto and Logie)
            • ((v)) George Wishart 'the Martyr' (b c1513, d 01.03.1546, preacher
          • ((B))+ other issue - John (a 1511), William (a 1559)

References

• http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/ww/wishart1.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wishart
• Rogers, Charles (1876). Life of George Wishart, the Scottish martyr, with his translation of the Helvetian Confession and a genealogical history of the family of Wishart. London: William Paterson. Retrieved 28 July 2019. Archive.Org, PDF