Niddrie Marischal near Edinburgh, the Wauchope family home
He was born at
Nidrie Marischal near
Edinburgh,
Scotland, son of Gilbert Wauchope, who was the head of the family which owned Niddrie Marischal for several centuries. Robert is known to have been nearly
blind from an early age (there are conflicting accounts of precisely how bad his eyesight was), yet he somehow overcame this handicap and became an outstanding scholar. He is recorded as studying at the
University of Paris in 1526, and also studied for a time with
Hector Boece at
King's College, Aberdeen. He was a friend of
Erasmus. [1]
He was considered one of the best theologians of his day, taking a prominent role at the conference at
Worms in 1540 and the
Diet of Ratisbon in 1541. He also attended the early sessions of the
Council of Trent.
Pius IV relied heavily on his advice.[2][3]
Wauchope worked as a theologian in Rome, and was probably not consecrated until the death of his predecessor in the See of Armagh,
George Cromer, in 1543. Cromer was suspected of
heresy by the
Holy See, and was deposed by
Henry VIII during the
Protestant Reformation. The King appointed
George Dowdall to the See, and Dowdall denounced Wauchope when he arrived in Ireland. Wauchope returned to Rome where he was made
legate to Ireland, but he died soon afterwards, before he could return to Ireland to reclaim the Archdiocese.[3]
References
^Harvie, Christopher Scotland- a Short History Oxford University Press 2014 pp.84-5
^"Armagh". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Retrieved 31 March 2008.