LEARMONTH-LERMONTOV. A HYISTORY OF THE NAME AND FAMILIES

George Wishart, a Martyr.
Sir James Learmonth’s sister Elizabeth was married to
James Wishart of Pitarrow in April 1512. Their only son, George
Wishart, was born about 1513. He was probably called George
after his maternal grandfather or granduncle Prior George
Leirmont, the name was certainly derived from his mother’s
family. George’s father, James Wishart, died in May 1525.
Therefore, his mother, Elizabeth together with her brother, Sir
James Learmonth of Balcomie, were the two people who were
responsible for George’s upbringing.
George Wishart eventually chose to train for the clerical
profession, in which several members of his House had attained
distinction, and wherein his prospects of advancement, owing to
the intimacy which existed between his family and David Beaton,
Abbot of Arbroath, the future cardinal, were considerable. As his
name does not appear in the registers of any of the Scottish
colleges, it is most probable that he was sent by his maternal uncle,
Sir James, to Cambridge University and then to one or more of the
universities of Germany. During the progress of his studies he
seems to have embraced the reformist doctrines (“The Life of
George Wishart” by C. Rogers, London, 1876).
George was unusually intellectually gifted and he was said
to be so full of grace that there was none who had come before to
whom he could be compared. He not only excelled in general
studies but also in spiritual insight but, above all, he was endowed
with the gift of prophecy. He became a Scottish Protestant
reformer travelling around Scotland preaching the reformation
message, visiting the sick and offering comfort and support to all
who needed it. He was very successful and quickly became highly
regarded, particularly for his condemnation of the corruption
within the Catholic Church.
His success enraged the Scottish Catholics led by Marie de
Guise and Cardinal David Beaton who were determined to stop
George’ s growing influence. Beaton had him arrested and, despite
protests from a number of influential people, George was tried for
heresy, found guilty and burnt at the stake at St Andrews Castle.
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Cardinal Beaton thought that would be the end of the matter but it
turned out that George’s death was just the beginning
(Significant Scots “Cardinal David Beaton”
).
We are fortunate that there is a portrait of George Wishart
preserved in the art collection at the National Portrait Gallery of
Scotland, in Edinburgh. Mr. David Wishart, Ph.D., Honorary
Research Fellow, the University of St Andrews, Scotland kindly
sent us a copy (Illus. 17).
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