Great Aberdonians: Bishop William Elphinstone (1431-1514): Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen
This is a past event
Professor Jane Geddes
William Elphinstone was both Bishop of Aberdeen and Founder of Aberdeen University. He was a great statesman and diplomat, negotiating the marriage between King James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor of England. He was also a tidy administrator, patron of architecture and instigator of the first printing press in Scotland. This lecture highlights his achievements, with an added dimension: he is compared with his Norwegian contemporary Archbishop Eric Valkendorf (1510-22) of Nidaros (Trondheim). Although they probably never met, these two prelates experienced the same tumultuous times on the cusp of the Reformation, living remarkably similar lives.
- Venue
- Town and County Hall Town House, Union Street, Aberdeen