George Wishart (1703–1785) was a Scottish minister who was The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1748. He was also Chaplain-in-Ordinary to the

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

and

Dean of the Chapel Royal The Dean of the Chapel Royal, in any kingdom, can be the title of an official charged with oversight of that kingdom's chapel royal, the ecclesiastical establishment which is part of the royal household and ministers to it. England In England, ...

Life

Wishart was born in

Edinburgh's Old Town The Old Town ( sco, Auld Toun) is the name popularly given to the oldest part of Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh. The area has preserved much of its medieval street plan and many Reformation-era buildings. Together with the 18th/19th-cent ...

in 1703, the son of Janet Murray (died 1744), daughter of Janet Nisbet and Major William Murray of Touchadam, and the Very Rev Prof William Wishart, the

Principal of the University of Edinburgh Principals of the University of Edinburgh * 1586 Robert Rollock (Regent from 1583 to 1586) * 1599 Henry Charteris * 1620 Patrick Sands * 1622 Robert Boyd * 1623 John Adamson (died in office in 1652 but the original successor, William Colvil ...

and minister of the

Tron Kirk The Tron Kirk is a former principal parish church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a well-known landmark on the Royal Mile. It was built in the 17th century and closed as a church in 1952. Having stood empty for over fifty years, it was used ...

on the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

. His father in turn had been Rev William Wishart (1621–1692), minister of Kinneil, the grandson of Sir John Wishart (1570-1607) and Jean (Douglas) Wishart, the daughter of

William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (1533 – 1 July 1591, at Glenbervie) was a Scottish nobleman and zealous supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots. Biography Douglas was the eldest son of Sir Archibald Douglas of Glenbervie, Knt., by his spouse Agnes, ...

and his wife, Agnes Keith, daughter of

William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal William is a male given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norm ...

. His uncles included Admiral Sir James Wishart and Sir George Wishart 1st baronet of Cliftonhall. His brother

William Wishart (secundus) William Wishart (secundus) (1691/92–1753) was a Scottish clergyman who served as the Principal of Edinburgh University from 1736 to 1753. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly for the Church of Scotland in 1745. Life He was born in L ...

, like his father, also became the Principal of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. He studied divinity at the

, graduating with an MA in 1719, while his father was Principal of the University. He was licensed by the Edinburgh Presbytery of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

in 1726 and was ordained at

St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Probably founded in the 7th century, the church once covered an extensive parish around the burgh of Edinburgh. The church's current building was ...

in parallel to Rev Neil McVicar who ran the collegiate function of the church. Wishart took over at his father's church at the

Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action-adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer a ...

in 1730. He became Principal Clerk to the General assembly in 1746 and was elected Moderator in 1748. His service at the Tron Kirk was continuous from 1730 until death - an outstanding 55 years, the longest-serving minister in that church.Fasti Ecclesiastae Scoticana by Hew Scott In 1759 Edinburgh University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD). He was appointed Dean of the Chapel Royal in 1765. He died at his home on Shoemakers Close on the

on 12 June 1785. He is buried in

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

in Edinburgh.Williamsons Directory 1785 He was succeeded in his post of minister of the Tron by Rev Andrew Hunter of Barjarg.

Family

In December 1727 he married Ann Campbell, daughter of John Campbell of Orchard, (a grandson of both Sir James Campbell and of Sir Robert Campbell, grandson of

Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill (c. 1505–1576) was a Scottish lord of Parliament. Robert, also ''Semphill'' or ''Semple'', 3rd Lord Sempill (d. circa 1575), commonly called the 'Great Lord Sempill', was the elder son of William Sempill, 2nd ...

and

John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl (died 25 April 1579), called the Fair, was a Scottish nobleman and courtier. He was favoured by Mary, Queen of Scots, but later turned against her. Biography Stewart was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Athol ...

). Their daughter Jane ("Jeanie") Wishart (1742–1811) married Baron von Westphalen and was grandmother of

Jenny von Westphalen Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny Edle von Westphalen (12 February 18142 December 1881) was a German theatre critic and political activist. She married the philosopher and political economist Karl Marx in 1843. Background Jenny von Westphalen was bor ...

, later the wife of

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

), four other daughters, and one son. Their daughter Janet married Major General John Beckwith.

Publications

*A pamphlet seeking Justice to be brought on the murderers of Cpt John Porteous (1737)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wishart, George 1703 births 1785 deaths 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Academics of the University of Edinburgh Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard