SPOTSWOOD, or Spotiswood, John (1565-1639), archbishop of St Andrews, was the son of John Spotswood, minister of Calder and “superintendent” of Lothian, and was born in 1565. He was educated at Glasgow, and succeeded his father in the parish of Calder when but eighteen years of age. In 1601 he attended Ludowick, duke of Lennox, as his chaplain, in an embassy to the court of France, and returned in the duke’s retinue through England. In 1603 he was nominated by the king to the see of Glasgow, but his consecration (in London) did not take place until October 1610. In 1615 he was translated as successor of Gladstanes to St Andrews, and thus became primate and metropolitan of Scotland. In this capacity he presided in several assemblies of the Church of Scotland.

At that of Perth, in 1618, over which he presided, he used his influence to obtain a reluctant assent to the Five Articles. He continued in high esteem with James VI. and Charles I., who was crowned by him in 1633 at Holyrood. In 1635 Spotswood was advanced to the chancellorship, but the increasing strength of the Covenanters compelled his resignation in 1638. He was deposed and excommunicated by the Glasgow assembly in that year; charges affecting his moral character were brought against him, but no attempt was made to substantiate these. He died in London on 26th December 1639 and was buried in Westminster Abbey....