Melville, Andrew (1545-1622)

Scottish reformer and humanist. He studied in Paris and taught in Geneva, and from 1574 held academic posts in Scotland. Several times moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, he was largely responsible for its constitution. At the Hampton Court Conference in 1606 he criticized the royal supremacy and was briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1611.

He was born at Baldovie, near Forfar, and learnt Greek at Montrose grammar school from Pierre de Marsiliers. He studied at St Andrews University in Scotland before studying oriental languages, law, and mathematics at Paris (1564-66), where he was influenced by the new methods of Petrus Ramus. He became regent of St Marceon College at Poitiers in 1566 but soon left for Switzerland, where he occupied the chair of Latin at the Geneva Academy (1568-73).

On his return to Scotland he became principal of Glasgow University (1574-80) and then St Mary's College, St Andrews University (1580-97). A staunch defender of Presbyterianism, he helped to bring about the fall of episcopacy in Scotland and to draft the Second Book of Discipline about 1581. His extreme views made him many enemies and he was forced to flee to England in 1584. He soon returned and in 1570 was made rector of St Andrews, a position he held until 1597.

After his release from the Tower of London in 1611 he went to France and spent the rest of his life as professor of biblical theology at Sedan.