Carstairs, William
1649-1715
Mr William Carstairs
(usual spelling Carstares), minister in Edinburgh, principal of the University of Edinburgh.
The son of the Covenanting minister of Cathcart in Lanarkshire, he was educated at University of Edinburgh (1663-7) and then at Utrecht (1669-72), having left Scotland after his father was outlawed. He came to London in 1672, probably as an agent of William of Orange, while France and England were trying to crush Holland, and was held as a political prisoner in Edinburgh castle 1674-9. During 1682-3 he was active in both England and Scotland helping to organise a rising by the Whigs and the Earl of Argyll. He was captured at Tenterden in Kent in 1683 and shipped to Scotland. There he was tortured with thumbscrews until he made a partial confession on the promise that it would not be used as evidence; but it was immediately used in the trial of George Baillie of Jeviswood, who was executed.
On his release from prison he went to the continent early in 1685 and became minister of a Scottish congregation at Leyden the following year. He accompanied William of Orange as chaplain in his invasion of England in 1688, and on campaigns in Ireland and Flanders, 1689-1702. He took part in drafting the legislation for establishing Presbyterianism in Scotland as part of the Revolution Settlement of 1690, and in 1694 he was able to dissuade King William from sending instructions to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which might have started a Presbyterian rebellion. From 1695 he began unscrupulously meddling in Scottish factional politics, earning himself the nickname of 'Cardinal Carstares', though his power waned abruptly on William's death in 1702. He was Principal of the University of Edinburgh, 1703-15, and a minister of Greyfriars Church, 1704-7, and of St. Giles, 1707-15. He was also four times Moderator of the General Assembly. He died in December 1715, a strong supporter of the Union to the last.
In his will he expresses his deep affection for his wife, Elizabeth Rikewick: 'her faithfull and Tender affection to me in all Changes of my Condition Doth deserve more from me than I have to give' and commends her to the care of his brother, sister-in-law and their children: 'And I Doubt not but my relations will Show her all kindness and Give her all the assistance they can as her Circumstances Shall require It'. In the inventory his debtors include David, Earl of Leven, governor of Edinburgh Castle, who had fought at the battle of Killiecrankie and Sir James Stuart of Goodtrees, second Baronet, solicitor general, son of his old friend the strongly Presbyterian Sir James Stuart of Goodtrees, Lord Advocate (1692-1709 and 1711-13).
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