SPOTSWOOD (John), archbishop of St Andrew's in Scotland, was descended from the lairds of Spotswood in the Merle, and was born in the year 1565. He was educated in the university of Glasgow, and succeeded his father in the parsonage of Calder when but 18 years of age. In 1601 he attended Lodowick duke of Lenox as his chaplain, in an embassy to the court of France for confirming the ancient amity between the two nations, and returned in the ambassador's retinue through England. When he entered into the archbishopric of Glasgow, he found there was not 100 l. Sterling of yearly revenue left; yet such was his care for his successors, that he greatly improved it, and much to the satisfaction of his diocese. After having filled this see eleven years, he was raised to that of St Andrew's in 1615, and made primate and metropolitan of all Scotland. He presided in several assemblies for restoring the ancient discipline, and bringing the church of Scotland to some sort of uniformity with that of England. He continued in high esteem with king James I. nor was he less valued by king Charles I. who was crowned by him in 1633, in the abbey-church of Holyroodhouse. In 1635, upon the death of the earl of Kinnoull chancellor of Scotland, our abbot was advanced to that post; but had scarcely held it four years, when the confusions beginning in Scotland, he was obliged to retire into England; and being broken with age, grief, and sickness, died at London in 1639, and was interred in Westminster-abbey. He wrote a history of the church of Scotland, from the year 203 to the reign of king James VI. in folio.