William Scheves

Who was William Scheves?

William Scheves was the second Archbishop of St. Andrews. His parentage is obscure, but he was probably the illegitimate son of a royal clerk, John Scheves. He is said to have spent several years abroad and probably studied at the University of Louvain. He spent several years at the University of St Andrews as an administrator. In his earlier ecclesiastical career, he had been clericus regiae and master of the hospital of Brechin. In 1474 he was provided unsuccessful to the Archdeaconry of Dunblane, but by the beginning of 1477 he was Archdeacon of St Andrews and coadjutor and vicar-general of the archdiocese. After the deposition of Archbishop Patrick Graham in 1478, he succeeded to the archbishopric, apparently receiving the papal pall while in the presence of King James III and many of the nobility at Holyrood.

He became extremely unpopular with the nobility, being seen as one of the "low-born favourites" who allegedly dominated James III. There seems little doubt that he had considerable influence with the King until 1482.