David Fletcher

David Fletcher (c.1607–March 1665) was a 17th-century senior clergyman in the Church of Scotland who was Bishop of Argyll from 1662 to 1665.

Background He was the second son of Andrew Fletcher a Dundee merchant, related to the Fletchers of Innerpeffer and Saltoun. His brother Sir John Fletcher was Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1661 to 1664. His date of birth is unclear but he graduated MA from St Andrews University in 1625.

Career

In 1635 Edinburgh town council elected Fletcher as minister in second charge in the Old Kirk, St Giles (then split into four sections, with two ministers per section). He was deposed from this post in January 1639 both for declining the previous Assembly in Glasgow and for reading and defending the Scottish Book of Common Prayer but was allowed to return to his post in August 1639.

In 1641 he translated From St Giles to Melrose. In 1662 he was consecrated by Archbishop Andrew Fairfoul at Glasgow Cathedral as Bishop of Argyll. The position as Bishop permitted Fletcher a place in the Scottish Parliament.

He died in March 1665 and was replaced by the short-lived Bishop John Young who died before he was consecrated. He had jointly functioned as minister of Melrose until his death and his position there was filled by Alexander Bisset MA.

Family He married Elizabeth Strang, daughter of John Strang, Principal of Glasgow University. Their daughters included Christian Fletcher and Janet Fletcher. Christian married Henry Home of Kames and they were grandparents to Henry Home, Lord Kames. In 1673 Janet married Thomas Gordon of Buthlaw (d.1690) and she died in 1693. Their son, James Fletcher of New Cranston, died in 1691.