Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet was a prominent Scottish theologian and historian, born into a distinguished family in the 17th century. His father, Robert Burnet, was a lord of session and had strong political and religious convictions that influenced Gilbert's early life. Educated at Marischal College from a young age, Burnet earned an M.A. in philosophy and a doctorate in divinity by eighteen, indicating his academic prowess. He initially served in the Scottish ministry and faced familial strife due to his acceptance of Episcopal orders. In 1671, he married Lady Margaret Kennedy in secret, highlighting his complex personal life amidst a politically charged backdrop.
Burnet became a significant figure in London, aligning himself with the Whigs and publishing influential works, including "History of the Reformation in England." After fleeing to Holland due to accusations of plotting against James II, he remarried and returned to England during the reign of William and Mary, where he served as Bishop of Salisbury and was a key advisor. His later years were marked by personal losses and a gradual decline in influence, culminating in his death in 1715. He left behind a legacy through his writings, particularly "History of My Own Time," which provides insights into his life and the tumultuous period he navigated.
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Gilbert Burnet
Historian
- Born: September 18, 1643
- Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died: March 17, 1715
Biography
Gilbert Burnet was born the youngest son in a distinguished Scottish family. His father, Robert Burnet, became a lord of session at the time of the Restoration, taking the title of Lord Crimond. Robert Burnet refused to sign the Scottish Covenant and disapproved of the Scots’s rising and well as of the government of King Charles and the behavior of Scottish bishops. Gilbert Burnet inherited many of his father’s political leanings as well as his father’s academic inclinations; Robert Burnet educated his son during early childhood, and the boy entered Marischal College at only nine years old, graduating with his M.A. in philosophy only five years later. After a brief focus on the study of law, the young teenager directed his focus to theology, earning his doctorate of divinity degree by age eighteen.
The young man began work with the Scottish ministry in 1661, and when he accepted Episcopal orders, he encountered tension with his family, particularly with his sternly Presbyterian mother. After traveling, Gilbert Burnet was ordained by the Bishop of Edinburgh in 1665, and he ministered at a rural Salton church for four years, until 1669, when he was named chair of divinity at the University of Glasgow, a position he did not seek but which was bestowed upon him.
Gilbert Burnet secretly married Lady Margaret Kennedy, a cousin to one of Burnet’s political enemies and a woman eighteen years his senior, in 1671, and the couple hid their marriage for three years. Gilbert Burnet left the University of Glasgow in 1674 and moved to London, where he actively supported the Whigs. It was during this period of life that Burnet published History of the Reformation in England. When he was accused of plotting against James II in 1683, Burnet fled to Holland. He left England without his wife, Lady Margaret Burnet, who was dying at the time of his departure, and in Holland he married Mary Scott, a Scottish-descended Dutch heiress.
Burnet returned to England during the reign of William and Mary and composed the English text of their declaration. During their reign, Burnet was a repeated advisor. He became Bishop of Salisbury in 1689, a year after he published Inquiry into the Measures of Submission to the Supreme Authority, which defended the Glorious Revolution.
Mary Scott died in 1698 from smallpox, and in 1700, Gilbert Burnet married his third wife, Elizabeth, the widow of Robert Berkeley and the daughter of Sir Richard Blake. Gilbert Burnet’s influence in the royal family declined after Queen Mary’s death; King William resented some of Burnet’s insistent advice, and in 1699, Gilbert Burnet begrudgingly became tutor to the royal duke of Gloucester. Burnet died in 1715 and ordered in his will that his now well-known History of My Own Time be published six years after his death. Sons from his second marriage, Gilbert and Thomas, published the two volumes in 1724 and 1734.