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James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.

Life

James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour, in Fife. He graduated as Master of Arts at St. Andrews University in 1493, was appointed Precentor of Dornoch Cathedral (Diocese of Caithness) in 1497 and in 1503 was appointed Provost of the Collegiate Church of Bothwell. In 1504 he became Prior of Whithorn and Abbot of Dunfermline and in 1505 was made Lord High Treasurer of Scotland by James IV.

In 1508 he was elected as Bishop of Galloway, in succession to George Vaus, but before his consecration he was chosen to succeed Robert Blackadder as Archbishop of Glasgow and was consecrated at Stirling on 15 April 1509. With the archbishopric he held the commendatory Abbeys of Arbroath and Kilwinning, and in 1515 he became Lord Chancellor of Scotland. King James V was at this time a child and Beaton, as one of the Council of Regency, was one of the most important people in the kingdom during the minority of the young king.

In 1522 Beaton was transferred to St. Andrews bishopric, vacant by the death of Archbishop Forman. As primate he threw all his powerful influence into the scale against the intrigues of Henry VIII to obtain predominance in Scotland. He was chiefly responsible for the king's action in allying himself with France and not with England. The English ambassador described him as "greatest man both of lands and experience within this realm, and noted to be very crafty and dissimulating".

His residence in the capital, Edinburgh, was at the foot of Blackfriars Wynd on the Cowgate. This had a courtyard form and the coat-of-arms of the Bethune family over the entrance.

In 1528 he ordered Patrick Hamilton burned at the stake for the alleged heresy of Lutheranism. The Regent Albany's jealousy had deprived Beaton of the chancellorship some years previously, and he was never reappointed, though he enjoyed the full favour of the king. A few months after the second marriage of James to Mary of Guise, the primate got his nephew Cardinal Beaton appointed his coadjutor with right of succession. Archbishop James Beaton died in the autumn of 1539 in his castle at St. Andrews.

References

1. "Archbishop James Beaton [Catholic-Hierarchy]".
2. ^ Hunter-Blair, Oswald. "James Beaton." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 24 July 2015
3. "O'Brien John. "Beaton, James, d 1539, Archbishop of St Andrews", Glasgow University Archive Services, 2002". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
4. Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.262

Further reading

• Chambers, Robert; Thomson, Thomas Napier (1857). "Beaton, James, prelate and statesman" . A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Vol. 1. Glasgow: Blackie and Son. pp. 182–83 – via Wikisource.
• "Beaton, James (d.1539)" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

v t e Bishop of Galloway / Whithorn
Pre-Reformation bishops of Galloway, x 1128–1560 Gille Aldan Christian of Whithorn John of Whithorn Walter of Whithorn Gilbert of Glenluce Odo Ydonc§ Henry of Holyrood Thomas de Kirkcudbright Simon de Wedale Michael MacKenlagh Thomas MacDowell§ Adam de Lanark Oswald of Glenluce§ Ingram de Ketenis§ Thomas de Rossy Elisaeus Adougan Gilbert Cavan§ Thomas de Buittle Alexander Vaus Thomas Spens Thomas Vaus§ Ninian Spot George Vaus James Beaton David Arnot Henry Wemyss Andrew Durie Alexander Gordon Post-Reformation bishops of Galloway, 1560–1689 Alexander Gordon John Gordon Roger Gordon§ George Gordon Vacant (1588–1605)§ Gavin Hamilton William Couper Andrew Lamb Thomas Sydserf Vacant (1638–1661)§ James Hamilton John Paterson Arthur Rose James Aitken John Gordon
§ non-consecrated, titular or doubtful

v t e Bishops and archbishops of St Andrews
Known pre-Norman era bishops	Cellach I Fothad I Máel Ísu I Cellach II Máel Muire Máel Ísu II Ailín Máel Dúin Túathal Fothad II Giric Cathróe
Scoto-Norman era bishops	Turgot of Durham Eadmer Robert of Scone Ernald Richard the Chaplain Hugh the Chaplain John Scotus Roger de Beaumont Geoffrey de Liberatione William de Malveisin David de Bernham Robert de Stuteville Abel de Gullane Gamelin William Wishart William Fraser William de Lamberton James Bane William Bell William de Landallis Stephen de Pa Walter Trail Thomas Stewart Walter de Danielston Gilbert de Greenlaw Henry Wardlaw James Kennedy Patrick Graham
Pre-Reformation archbishops	Patrick Graham William Scheves James Stewart, Duke of Ross Alexander Stewart John Hepburn Cardinal Innocenzo Cybo Andrew Forman James Beaton Cardinal David Beaton John Hamilton Gavin Hamilton
Post-Reformation archbishops	John Douglas Patrick Adamson George Gledstanes John Spottiswoode James Sharp Alexander Burnet Arthur Rose
Afterwards, see also: Episcopal Archbishops of St Andrews, Bishops of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane (etc.) & Roman Catholic Archbishops of St Andrews and Edinburgh (etc.)

• Abbots of Arbroath
• Abbots of Dunfermline
• Abbots of Kilwinning
• Roman Catholic archbishops of Glasgow
• Archbishops of St Andrews
• Bishops of Galloway (pre-Reformation)
• 16th-century Scottish Roman Catholic bishops
• Keepers of the Great Seal of Scotland
• Lord chancellors of Scotland
• Alumni of the University of St Andrews
• Chancellors of the University of St Andrews
• 1473 births
• 1539 deaths
• Founders of Scottish schools and colleges
• Court of James V of Scotland
• Lord high treasurers of Scotland
• Clergy from Fife
• 16th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Scotland
• 16th-century Christian abbots