George Wishart: Preacher and Martyr

Portrait of George Wishart

George Wishart was a fearless Scottish preacher and martyr whose bold witness prepared the way for the Scottish Reformation. His life and death profoundly influenced John Knox, who would become Scotland’s leading Reformer.

Wishart was born around 1513 in Kincardineshire. He studied first in Aberdeen and then in Leuven, Belgium, before going on to Cambridge in England. During these years abroad, he absorbed the writings of Luther and other Reformers, grounding himself in the principles of salvation by faith alone and the authority of Scripture over church tradition.

Returning to Scotland, Wishart quickly gained a reputation as a powerful preacher. Speaking in the vernacular, he brought the message of the Gospel directly to the people. He condemned corruption in the Church, rejected the sale of indulgences, and called for a return to biblical truth. His preaching was accompanied by deep compassion: during a plague outbreak in Dundee, he stayed behind to minister to the sick and dying when others fled.

Wishart’s boldness drew the wrath of the Church hierarchy. His preaching tours across Scotland drew large crowds but also spies and informers. Among those who heard him was John Knox, who became his close companion and bodyguard, carrying a two-handed sword to protect him from assassination attempts. Despite the danger, Wishart refused to be silenced. In 1546 he was betrayed, arrested on the orders of Cardinal David Beaton, and imprisoned in St Andrews Castle.

Wishart was tried for heresy before a hostile court. He defended his teachings from Scripture, but the verdict was predetermined. On 1 March 1546, he was led outside the castle walls of St Andrews and executed by strangling and burning. Witnesses reported his calmness and forgiveness toward his executioners.

John Knox, who had been restrained from accompanying him to the stake, later testified to the profound influence Wishart had on his faith and calling.

Wishart’s martyrdom shocked Scotland and further inflamed opposition to Cardinal Beaton. Just three months later, Beaton himself was assassinated by Protestant conspirators in St Andrews Castle, an event that marked a turning point in the struggle for reform.

Ruins of St. Andrews Castle

For Knox, Wishart’s courage and faith became a lifelong inspiration. Through him, the torch of the Reformation in Scotland was passed on, blazing into full flame in the years to come.