Patrick Hamilton
Patrick Hamilton - Scottish Reformer and Scotland's 1st Protestant Martyr
Patrick Hamilton (1504*** - 1528) was born in the diocese of Glasgow and was the son of Sir Patrick Hamilton, nephew of King James IV, and of Catherine Stewart, daughter of Alexander, Duke of Albany, second son of James II of Scotland. It is believed that his early education was in Linlithgow followed by a period of study at the University of Paris where he graduated in 1820. He then travelled to Leuven, Belgium.
He returned to Scotland and became a member of the University of St Andrews in 1523 and in 1524 he was admitted to its faculty of arts to study under John Mair. He quickly gained much influence but his reformist views soon raised objections. By 1527 his preachings had come to the attention of the (papist) Archbishop of St Andrews, James Beaton. Beaton was denied the opportunity to put Hamilton to trial as he fled to Germany. He visited Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon at Wittenberg and then, with two friends, he enrolled at the University of Marburg to study under Franz Lambert of Avignon.
In the autumn he returned to Scotland where he immediately started to preach and was invited to a conference at the University of St Andrews. Alexander Ales (Alesius) eagerly anticipated the opportunity to prove Hamilton's beliefs wrong and convince him of his errors. The debate raged for almost a month, with preaching from both sides of the debate.
Hamilton was called to give account of his views to a council of council of bishops and clergy. The council was presided over by the Archbishop of St Andrews and Hamilton was found guilty of heresy on thirteen counts. Among the charges brought against him where his publicly disapproving of pilgrimages, purgatory, prayers to saints, for the dead, etc. He was arrested immediately and placed in prison.
The following morning he was immediately condemned to be burnt and it was agreed that the sentence would be carried out that afternoon. Fearful of the high stature of Hamilton the judgement was signed by all present and, according to Fox's Book of Martyrs, for even greater authority they allowed it to be signed by "boys who were sons of the nobility".
Hamilton had, in 1517, been appointed titular abbot of Ferne, Ross-shire, and his behaviour was to have a profound effect on many present, including Alexander Ales who was beginning to question his own, orthodox, views. It is said that when Hamilton arrived at the stake he knelt and prayed with "great fervency". Once tied to the stake he had gunpowder placed uder his arms and lit but it failed start the fire and only managed to scorch him. More gunpowder was sent for and they tried to light the fire again. This time it caught but the fire was slow. Hamilton was heard to say;
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! How long shall darkness overwhelm this realm? And how long wilt Thou suffer the tyranny of these men?"
Many of those around him taunted him as he suffered but Hamilton retained his dignity throughout. Hamilton's suffering lasted from noon until 6pm when he was overcome by smoke and flames.
The year of birth is unknown but many quote 1504. In my research I was only able to find a mention of his age in my copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs which states that he was 23 at the time of his martyrdom. "Patrick Hamilton, a Scotchman born of high and noble stock, and of the king's blood, of excellent towardness, twenty-three years of age, called abbot of Ferne." However this would make him only 13 when he was appointed titular abbot of Ferne in 1517.
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