John Winram c.1492-1582: a study of his life and his role in the pre and post-Reformation Scottish Church

Abstract

This thesis considers the life of John Winram [c. 1492-1582] who was one of Scotland's leading ecclesiastics in both the pre-Reformation and post-Reformation ChurchesIt begins with Winram's early career in St Andrews' priory, where he became subprior in 1535. A radical re-evaluation of events in St Andrews in 1546-47 reveals the subprior's efforts to introduce fundamental religious reform within the burgh while remaining within the Catholic Church. The impact that this had on John Knox, and the resulting dramatic upsurge in reform-minded clergy entering into the priory in the 1550s is uncovered. (Detailed information of the size and membership of the priory in the sixteenth century and a Fasti tracing subsequent careers within the Reformed Church is given in an appendix.) In 1559 Winram publicly sided with the Protestant Lords of the Congregation and helped compose the Scottish Confession of Faith and First Book of Discipline. In 1561 he was appointed Superintendent of Fife.Winram's official activities within the Reformed Church are examined in depth. The theory of superintendency, as outlined in the First Book of Discipline and continually refined by the General Assembly, is discussed, as are the practical outworkings of this office. The activities of Winram's synod and his court, and the interactions between the two, are investigated. An unpublished transcript of acts from the Synod of Fife provides important new evidence both on the workings of synods and of their close links with the superintendents' courts, with a detailed break-down of charges raised in Winram's superintendent's court being provided in an appendix. Having examined the superintendent's handling of presentations to parishes within his district, attention is focused on the Assembly's oversight of its superintendents in general, and of Winram in particular. Finally, Winram's gradual withdrawal from superintendency is recorded.Winram retained an active involvement in the priory and major events after 1560 are discussed. A second life-long connection was with the university and his academic career, from his earliest student days to his death, is tracedIn conclusion, attention is turned towards the more private and personal side of John Winram. The superintendent's paternal relationship towards his prior, Lord James Stewart, and his wife and children is investigated. Winram's own family ties are also examined - those with his blood kin. especially his cousin, Robert Winram, Collector of the Thirds of Benefices in Fife, and his nephew, John Winram younger; and those with his marital kin - his wife, Margaret Stewart, and her two sons. The deterioration of Winram's relationship with his step-sons is explored through legal disputes which arose over Margaret Stewart's will.Winram's public volte-face in 1559, and the lack of challenge to it at the time, has led some historians to accuse him of duplicity. This thesis presents a radically different understanding of the man. It also provides a fundamental reassessment of the role of superintendents and how they, through their courts and their synods, linked the parishes of Scotland to the General Assembly.