David Beaton

David Beaton (c. 1494, † May 29, 1546 ) was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Saint Andrews.

After studying at the universities and the College of St. Andrews, Paris and Glasgow Beaton was initially worked at the French court as an envoy and ambassador of the Scottish regency 1525 Privy Seal James V of Scotland. Under the protection of King Francis I. standing he soon became Bishop of Mirepoix in Languedoc, because he was negotiating since 1533 because of Jacob's marriage to Madeleine de Valois, and after her death in 1537 with Marie de Guise, and later by Pope Paul III. elevated to cardinal. Since December 20, 1538 " Scottish " Cardinal ( titular church of Santo Stefano al Monte Celio ) of St Andrews and Primate of the empire, he was papal legate since 1544.

Beaton took possession of all the weak King James, the same quarreled with his nobility and drove him to the persecution of the Protestants. After Jacob's death ( 1542) he claimed on the basis of an alleged will of the king's reign; Parliament alone spoke to the same to the Earl of Arran and Beaton was arrested in 1543. But this escaped soon became reconciled with Arran and was now the chief opponents of the connection of Scotland with England and the plans of Henry VIII, Mary Stuart's hand to win for his son. His wrath against the Protestants, whose ardent preacher, George Wishart, he put to death on March 28, 1546 brought about his death. Assaulted and murdered by conspirators noblemen in his castle on May 29, 1546 he was hanged in Cardinal suit on the same window from which he had two months earlier watched the combustion Wisharts.

His political views corresponded to that of the Scottish- French alliance and were marked by the contrast to the Anglican counter-movement.