Biography
Patrick Hamilton was born around 1504, in Scotland, into a noble family. His father was Sir Patrick Hamilton of Kincavel, and his mother was Catherine Stewart, a granddaughter of King James II. He was a kinsman of the king. He was destined for a career in the church. At the age of about thirteen, he was made the titular abbot of Fearn Abbey, in Ross-shire, which provided him with an income. This was a common arrangement, in which a nobleman's son was given an office for the sake of its revenues. He was educated at the University of Paris, where he took his degree in 1520.
In Paris, he came across the writings of Martin Luther and was struck by them. He was also influenced by the humanist writer Erasmus. He was drawn to the teaching of justification by faith. He returned to Scotland in about 1523 and enrolled at the University of St. Andrews, where he studied further. He took part in the university's life and became a member of the circle of scholars. He was said to be a man of fine character and good intellect. He was also a gifted musician. In 1524, he took part in a Latin mass, written for the occasion, which was sung at St. Andrews.
He was increasingly convinced of the reformed teaching. In 1527, he went to Germany, to the University of Marburg, which had just been founded by Philip of Hesse as the first Protestant university. He studied there under Francis Lambert, a reformer from France. He met William Tyndale and other leading reformers. He was impressed by the new school. He wrote a short treatise on the law and the gospel, which was a summary of the teaching of Luther and Melanchthon on the subject. It was later translated into English and published as Patrick's Places. It was one of the first Protestant works written by a Scot.
He returned to Scotland in 1527 and began to preach the reformed faith. He married a young woman, whose name is not known. He was a young man of twenty-three, with a gift of speech and a quick mind. He was soon denounced by the archbishop of St. Andrews, James Beaton, who was an opponent of the Reformation. He was summoned to a meeting at St. Andrews, where he was entrapped in a conversation by a friar, Alexander Campbell, who feigned sympathy with his views. He was arrested and put on trial for heresy.
He was charged with a list of errors, including the denial of purgatory, the denial of free will and the denial of the worship of images. He defended himself with calm and with the use of Scripture. He was condemned as a heretic. On February 29, 1528, he was burned at the stake outside the gate of St. Salvator's College, at St. Andrews. It was a cold day, and the fire was slow. The green wood did not burn well. He suffered for six hours, according to a report. He was said to have called on the Lord and to have spoken to the friar who had betrayed him. He was twenty-four.
His death made a deep impression. The smoke from his fire, it was said, infected all those on whom it blew. It was a saying that the reek of Master Patrick Hamilton had infected as many as it blew upon. His death roused many to inquire into the reformed teaching. It was a spur to the work of the Scottish Reformation. Among those whom he influenced were George Wishart and John Knox. His life shows the cost of a youthful faith and the power of a martyr's witness. He was a noble who gave up a place in the church for the sake of the gospel.