Patrick Adamson

Patrick Adamson (March 1537 – 10 February 1592) was a Scottish divine, and Archbishop of St Andrews from 1575.

Life Adamson was born at Perth where his father, Patrick Adamson, a burgess became Dean of Merchant Guildry.

Adamson studied philosophy at the University of St Andrews where he graduated with a MA, later receiving a doctorate.

Residence in France After serving as Minister of Ceres, Fife for three years, in 1565, Adamson travelled to Paris as tutor to the eldest son of Sir James MacGill, the Lord Clerk Register (or Clericus Rotulorum of Scotland), serving there initially as a Knights Hospitaller chaplain.

In June 1566, Adamson wrote a Latin poem on the birth of Prince James for Mary, Queen of Scots and her King consort, Lord Darnley. He described the young James as serenissimus princeps "of France and England" which offended Elizabeth I who complained to Queen Mary about his "small trifling book". Adamson was detained for over a year in France. He was released only through the intercession of Queen Mary and other senior Scots nobility, thereafter relocating with his pupil to read law at the University of Bourges. who was later burned for witchcraft, cured his apparent "serious illness".

By his wife Elizabeth née Arthur, Adamson had two sons, James and Patrick, and a daughter, Mariota, who married Sir Michael Balfour. His elder brothers, James and Henry, both served as Provost of Perth, and they were fathers of Henry and John Adamson respectively.