In 1991 the Wishart Society joined with the St. Andrews Preservation Trust to erect a stone plaque to commemorate the martyrdom of George Wishart in 1546 at the Castle, St Andrews. Our photograph shows members of the Society, and of the Trust, attending the ceremony to inaugurate George Wishart’s commemorative plaque on 21 March 1991. The inscription on the plaque reads as follows:

George Wishart, 1513 – 1546.

A powerful Protestant preacher, he was betrayed to Cardinal Beaton, brought here, put in the Sea Tower, condemned for heresy and burnt at the stake on 1 March. The lettering GW on the roadway marks where he died. His friends conspired against the Cardinal, and on 26 May gained entry to the Castle, killed him and hung his body from the battlements. Then together in the Castle they created the first congregation of the Protestant Church in Scotland.

The commissioning of George Wishart’s plaque, together with several other historical plaques located at various places in St. Andrews, was undertaken by Professor J F Allen, FRS of the University of St. Andrews and the St. Andrews Preservation Trust. Professor Allen is shown on the left of our picture. Dr David Wishart, who researched the inscription for the Wishart Society and co-sponsored the plaque, is on the right. The photo is courtesy of the St. Andrews Citizen.

About 2 years’ later George Wishart’s plaque was stolen, presumably by a souvenir hunter. So a replacement plaque was commissioned and a method of fixing was devised by Jim Clark of the Physics Department at the University and Bill Watson, Stonemason. This involved the design of special fixing nuts which are embedded in the stone and hence cannot be removed by a conventional spanner.
The replacement plaque was inaugurated on 30 October 1993.

Tuesday 20th May 2008 at 11.00

In November 2007, our plaque was knocked over and damaged. We think this was possibly due to a vehicle turning, rather than a malicious act.
The plaque plinth had to be repaired by a local stonemason, and we contributed to the cost of the repair, together with the St Andrews Preservation Trust and the Pilgrim Trust.

We now intend to hold a restoration event for the repaired plaque, to which you are cordially invited. It will commence at 11am on Tuesday 20th May, outside the Castle. We hope to have a photographer present, for the Society and Trusts’ publicity and the St Andrews Citizen. Also present will be Anne Morris, Chairman of the St Andrews Preservation Trust, a representative of the Pilgrim Trust, and Lt. Col. Jack Wishart and Dr. David Wishart for the Wishart Society.

Those attending will also be welcome to join us for lunch afterwards. Please wear tartan, if you can.

We look forward to seeing you in St Andrews! No booking necessary.