Lot 441
JOHN ELPHINSTONE PLASTER CAST AND ONE OTHER
LIKELY MID-19TH CENTURY
Auction: Day Two | Thursday 20 August from 10am | Lots 199 - 555
Description
The large oval form for William Elphinstone Bishop of Aberdeen AD 1484-1514; the smaller circular for John Elphinstone AD 1292
Provenance
The Elphinstone Family Collection
Footnote
John Elphinstone (recorded 1292) is among the earliest recorded members of the Elphinstone family, appearing in documentary records dating from 1292. Although little is known of his personal life, his appearance in medieval records provides important evidence of the family’s presence in Scotland during the late thirteenth century. He represents an early link in the long history of the Elphinstone name, which would later become associated with notable figures in Scottish public, ecclesiastical and military life.
William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen (1484–1514)
Was one of the most distinguished Scottish churchmen and scholars of the late medieval period. Appointed Bishop of Aberdeen in 1484, he served the Scottish Crown as a trusted adviser during the reigns of James III and James IV. His legacy is closely associated with the founding of the University of Aberdeen in 1495, an institution established through his vision for the advancement of learning in Scotland. His career reflects the influence and importance of the Elphinstone family within ecclesiastical, academic and political circles of the period.