James Lawson (minister)

James Lawson
Knox leaving St Giles' after inducting Lawson[1]
Personal details
Born	1538
Died	1584
minister of St Machar's (Old Machar)
In office 1569 – 9 November 1572[2]
minister of St. Giles' Cathedral
In office 9 November 1572 – 1584[3]
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
In office 12 July 1580 at Dundee[4] – close

James Lawson was the Church of Scotland minister who succeeded John Knox at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.^[3] Lawson's great educational achievement was the founding of the University of Edinburgh. He may be said to have been its principal promoter, and its best and wisest friend during the first year of its history, 1583.^[5]

James Lawson was a fellow-student at St Andrews with Andrew Melville in 1559, having been educated gratuitously by Andrew Simson, the celebrated master of the school of Perth. The Countess of Crawford appointed him tutor to her son, with whom he travelled on the continent. In 1568, on his return, he obtained an appointment to teach Hebrew in the New College of St Andrews. In 1569 he was presented to the office of sub-principal of the University of Aberdeen. In 1572 he succeeded John Knox as minister of Edinburgh. He was Moderator of the Assembly which met at Dundee in 1580. In May 1584 he was obliged to flee to England for his opposition to the Black Acts. He died in London on the 12 October of the same year. His funeral was widely attended. James Lawson was a strenuous supporter both of the High School and the University of Edinburgh.