thumb|The Carstares grave, Greyfriars Kirkyard
thumb|The grave of William Carstares (detail), Greyfriars Kirkyard
thumb|Plaque to William Carstares, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
thumb|Detail showing body in a burial shroud, grave of William Carstares, Greyfriars, Edinburgh (1720)
William Carstares (also Carstaires; 11 February 164928 December 1715) was a Scottish religious minister who was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1705, 1708, 1711 and 1715. He was active in Whig politics and was Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1703 to 1715.
Early life
Carstares was born at Cathcart, near Glasgow, Scotland, the son of the Rev. John Carstares, a Covenanter. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and then at the University of Utrecht. In the Netherlands he had an introduction to Gaspar Fagel. Through Fagel he met the Prince of Orange, the future King William III of England and II of Scotland, and began to take an active part in politics.
During the Third Anglo-Dutch War, Carstares acted as an intelligence agent for the Prince of Orange, making journeys to England as "William Williams". He corresponded with Pierre du Moulin (died 1676), who ran the Prince's espionage. He was suspected by the English, and arrested by warrant in September 1674 on English soil. He also manipulated the Parliament of Scotland, helped by being able to read James Johnston's mail.
Later life
On the accession of Queen Anne, Carstares retained his post as Royal Chaplain in Scotland, residing in Edinburgh, having also been elected Principal of the University of Edinburgh in 1703. He remained Principal until his death in 1715. He was a reforming administrator, introducing the Dutch professorial system of teaching. From 1704 he was also "second charge" minister of Old Greyfriars under Rev James Hart in Edinburgh, and from 1706 was second charge of St Giles'
He was four times chosen Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in 1705, 1708, 1711 and 1715.
He took an important part in promoting the Union, and was consulted by Harley and other leading Englishmen concerning it. During Anne's reign, the chief object of his policy was to frustrate the measures which were planned by Lord Oxford to strengthen the Episcopalian Jacobites, especially a bill for extending the privileges of the Episcopalians and the bill for replacing in the hands of the old patrons the right of patronage, which by the Revolution Settlement had been vested in the elders and the Protestant heritors.
He was uncle by marriage to William Dunlop (1692–1720).
Publications
- The Scottish Toleration Argued (1712)
See also
- List of moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland