William Wishart (secundus)

William Wishart (secundus) (1691/92–1753) was a Scottish clergyman who served as the Principal of Edinburgh University from 1736 to 1753.

In 1707 his father became minister of Tron Kirk in central Edinburgh and the family moved to the Royal Mile.

Wishart studied divinity at Edinburgh University (prior to his father's principalship) and was ordained by the Church of Scotland as minister of the Scots Church (Founders Hall) in London around 1710.

In 1745 he translated to "second charge" of Tron Kirk in Edinburgh, under his younger brother Rev George Wishart, the church being around 500m to the north-east of Greyfriars.

[2] He is believed by most historians,[citation needed] to have written A Letter from a Gentleman (1745), an important criticism of David Hume.

Greyfriars Kirk pre-restoration
Engraving of the kirk as it looked before 1785
The grave of Rev William Wishart, Greyfriars Kirkyard (Covenanters Prison)