Andrew Scott (bishop)

Andrew Scott (15 February 1772 – 4 December 1846) was a Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of Scotland from 1832 to 1845.<ref name=wmazierebrady471>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=chbscott>Template:Catholic-hierarchy</ref>

Education and early ministry

He was born in Chapelford, Enzie, Banffshire on 15 February 1772.<ref name="chbscott" /> His family had been farmers at Chapelford for hundreds of years.Template:Citation needed Having manifested a desire from an early age to enter the clergy, he was admitted to the Seminary of Scalan on 25 January 1785 and continued his studies at the Scots College, Douai.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1793, he was compelled to return home at the outbreak of the French Revolution when the college was abandoned. He resumed his studies in Scotland under the direction of Rev. John Farquharson and was ordained to the priesthood at Aberdeen by Bishop Hay on 25 March 1795.<ref name="chbscott" /><ref name=":0" />Immediately after ordination, he was appointed to the mission at Dee Castle in Aberdeenshire and in 1800 was sent to Huntly. He came to Glasgow in 1805 where initially there were few Catholics.<ref name=":0" />

He built St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow (1814–16), which still stands on the River Clyde, to accommodate the growing number of Catholics in the town.<ref name=":0" /> In Glasgow, he built schools which could be used as chapels on Sunday, and meeting places during the week.Template:Citation needed He pursued and won a libel case against a Protestant activist, the case of Scott v McGavin, 25 June 1821.<ref name=":0" />

Episcopate

He was appointed the Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of the Western District and Titular Bishop of Erythrae by the Holy See on 13 February 1827, and consecrated to the Episcopate at St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow on 21 September 1828.<ref name="wmazierebrady471" /><ref name="chbscott" /> The principal consecrator was Bishop Alexander Paterson, Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District of Scotland, and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop Ranald MacDonald, Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of Scotland and Bishop Thomas Penswick, Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District of England.<ref name="wmazierebrady471" /><ref name="chbscott" /> He continued to reside in Glasgow and took charge of the lowland portion of the Western District.<ref name=":0" />

On the death of Bishop Ranald MacDonald on 20 September 1832, he automatically succeeded as the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District.<ref name="wmazierebrady471" /><ref name="chbscott" /> After John Murdoch was appointed as his Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic (assistant Bishop) on 4 June 1833,<ref name="chbmurdj">Template:Catholic-hierarchy</ref> Bishop Scott was able to concentrate on the Highland part of the Western District, operating from Greenock and resigning the charge of Glasgow to Bishop Murdoch.<ref name=":0" /> While he had concentrated on schools in the Lowlands and Glasgow, in the western Highlands, he attempted to restore liturgy by building churches. He built new buildings at Badenoch, Bornish, Fort Augustus, Morar and Glencoe.

He resigned on 15 October 1845.<ref name="chbscott" /> The number of practising Catholics in the area increased from 1,000 to 70,000 during his forty-year tenure, largely due to Irish immigration. He died on 4 December 1846, aged 74,<ref name="chbscott" /> and was buried in St Mary's Church, Abercromby Street, Glasgow. <ref name=":0" />