Patrick Auchinleck d.1581
Patrick AUCHINLECK d.1581
Biographical Note
Educated at St Leonard’s College, St Andrews (1566). In 1571, he became minister of Balmerino and Logie in the Church of Scotland. From 1577, he was Chaplain to Regent Morton, and later appointed minister of Alves and Llanbyrd in Aberdeenshire, where he served from 1579 until his death. He was also commissioner for Moray (1578), assessor to the moderator (1580) and precentor (1578-1581) within the Church of Scotland. He died in Elgin.
Books
On his death, Auchinleck’s books were valued at 40 merks. A source cited in The Bannatyne Miscellany records that “ane richt venerabill man, Mr Patrick Auchinlek, Chantour of Murray” had “in his librell [library] of buikis estimate to fourtie merkis” (Vol II, p.109). It is likely that his books were sold locally after his death, as research by Christine Gascoigne has demonstrated that many of his books were subsequently owned by clergy and professionals in Elgin. 10 of Auchinleck’s surviving books are known through their later association with William Guild 1586-1657. Presently, only 2 additional books are known to have survived from Auchinleck’s library.
Books identified as Auchinleck’s include:
De Vera et Falsa Religione, Huldrychi Zuinglij Commentarius (Zurich, 1525) by Ulrich Zwingli (NLS Dowd.116)
Sacrorum psalmorum libri quinque (Basle, 1547) by German protestant reformer Martin Bucer (St Andrews TypSwB.B47HB)
and Joannes Arboreus Commentarii in omnes divi Pauli epistolas (Paris 1553) (Aberdeen UL πf22707 Arb)
Characteristic Markings
Auchinleck inscribed his books with his name “Pat. Authinlectus” (NLS Dowd.116)
He also frequently used the motto “Misericordias domini in aeternam cantabo.”
Sources
- The Bannatyne Miscellany, 3 vols. Edinburgh, Bannatyne Club, 1836.
- Gascoigne, Christine. ‘Book Transmission in Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century North East Scotland: The Evidence of William Guild’s books’, Journal of the Edinburgh Bibliographic Society, 4 (2009)
- Scott, Hew et al. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: The Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, 9 vols, new edn. Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1915–61.