Walter Balcanquhall (divine)

Walter Balcanquhall (1548–1617), was one of the first Presbyterian ministers in Edinburgh after the Reformation in Scotland.

He is almost certain to have been born at Balcanquhal, Strathmiglo, probably in 1548. After studying at St Andrews, he was exhorter at Aberdour in 1571, and entered St Giles on Whit Sunday 1574. At that time he is described in James Melvill's Diary as "ane honest, upright-hearted young man, latlie enteret to the ministerie of Edinburgh." He was elected to the chaplaincy of the Altar called Jesus, on 20 November 1579. Having preached against the influence of the French at Court, on 7 December 1580, he was called before the Privy Council, on 9 January 1581, and admonished. He attended the Earl of Morton on the eve of his execution, in 1581. He opposed the Black Acts of 1584, and was obliged to flee for safety to Berwick-on-Tweed. While there, his wife along with Mrs Lawson, wife of James Lawson, addressed to the Archbishop a long and most extraordinary letter of rebuke and vituperation^[3](P. C. Reg., iii., 691. On returning after the storm had passed, Balcanquhal came once more into royal favour. On 2 January 1586 he preached before the King (though James "rebuked him from his seat in the loft" for some of his opinions). Balcanquhal attended the coronation of Queen Anne, on 17 May 1590. In 1596 his bold utterances again brought him into conflict with the sovereign, and a warrant having been issued, again he escaped to Yorkshire. He demitted his ministry at St Giles in May 1597, in order to admit of new parochial divisions of the city, and on 18 April 1598 he was admitted to Trinity College Kirk. On 10 September 1600 he was called before the Privy Council for questioning the genuineness of the Gowrie Conspiracy, but, professing to be satisfied with its reality, he was dismissed. He was a member of the Assembly of 1602. Along with Robert Pont he took protestation at the cross of Edinburgh, in name of the whole Kirk, against the verdict of the Assize finding the brethren who met in General Assembly at Aberdeen guilty of treason. For condemning the proceedings of the General Assembly, 1610, he was again called before the Privy Council, and admonished. Falling into bad health, he ceased preaching, on 16 July 1616, and died on 4 August 1617. He bequeathed 1000 merks towards the stipend of a Professor of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh.^[2]