George Wishart (1703–1785) was a Scottish minister who was

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...

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 form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...

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 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 Co ...

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 the nickname of a series of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. The term originated in the early 20th century and has since entered popular usage. The Royal ...

. 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 and his wife, Agnes Keith, daughter of

William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

. His uncles included Admiral Sir James Wishart and Sir George Wishart 1st baronet of Cliftonhall. His brother William Wishart (secundus), like his father, also became the Principal of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. 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 (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

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 Old Town of Edinburgh, burgh of Edinburgh. The church ...

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 ...

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 – 55 years; the longest-serving minister in that church.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; 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, Edinburgh, Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 1 ...

in Edinburgh.Williamson's 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 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 Ath ...

). 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 b ...

, later the wife of

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

), 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 18th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers Academics of the University of Edinburgh Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard