William Hamilton (1669–1732) was a Scottish

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

theologian and minister 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 Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

. He was professor of divinity at 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 ...

from 1709 to 1732 and also principal of the university from 1730 to 1732.

Life

He was born in 1669 the son of Gavin Hamilton of

Airdrie, North Lanarkshire Airdrie (; sco, Airdrie; gd, An t-Àrd Ruigh) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft (130 m) above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of Glasgow city centre. , the town had a ...

. He studied at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...

graduating around 1688. He was ordained as a Church of Scotland minister in September 1694 at

Cramond Kirk Cramond Kirk is a church situated in the middle area Cramond parish, in the north west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Built on the site of an old Roman fort, parts of the Cramond Kirk building date back to the fourteenth century and the church tower is ...

. In 1709 he left Cramond to be Professor of Divinity at

. He was also Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on five occasions: 1712,1716,1720,1727 and 1730. :''The elder Hamilton was an influential figure in the growth of "early moderatism", and several of his students, including Wishart, were prominent Rankenians.'' In 1732, having been promoted to Principal of Edinburgh University in 1730, he took on the additional role of collegiate minister to the New (West) Kirk in St Giles which was then split into four parishes internally. He died in Edinburgh on 12 November 1732.

Family

In 1696 he married Mary Robertson of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(1674-1760). His sons included: *William Hamilton an Edinburgh merchant *Gavin Hamilton an Edinburgh bookseller, father of Robert Hamilton, the economist * Very Rev Prof Robert Hamilton. * Rev Gilbert Hamilton who was Moderator in 1768. *Jean Hamilton married Hugh Cleghorn *Margaret, married William Tod *Anne, married Rev John Horsley of

Newington Butts Newington Butts is a former hamlet, now an area of the London Borough of Southwark, that gives its name to a segment of the A3 road running south-west from the Elephant and Castle junction. The road continues as Kennington Park Road leading to ...

, parents to Bishop

Samuel Horsley Samuel Horsley (15 September 1733 – 4 October 1806) was a British churchman, bishop of Rochester from 1793. He was also well versed in physics and mathematics, on which he wrote a number of papers and thus was elected a Fellow of the Royal So ...

Notes

1669 births 1732 deaths Principals of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 17th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland {{Scotland-academic-bio-stub