Balcanquhall, Walter
| Dates | 1610-1645 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Cambridgeshire; London | ||
| Vocation | Clergy | ||
| Place of Birth | Edinburgh | ||
| Marriage | Elisabeth Aucher (Bishopsbourne, 21 Sept 1624) | ||
| Issue | |||
| Place of birth | Source | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |
Son of Walter Balcanquhall and Margaret Marjoribanks. Educated at Edinburgh University, graduating MA on 27 July 1609. Continued education at Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1610. Balcanquhall enjoyed a long ecclesiastical career; a convinced Episcopalian he became vicar of Harston 1615 and of Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire 1617. He was appointed chaplain to the king on on 16 December 1617 was made master of the Savoy Hospital in the Strand. In March 1625 Balcanquhall became dean of Rochester and vicar of Goudhurst, Kent. He was then appointed rector of Kingstone, Kent in 1632. In recognition of his service to the king, Balcanquhall was installed as dean of Durham on 14 May 1640, having advised king on advantages & perils of allowing covenanters to hold a general assembly. He then attended the Glasgow assembly as an observer in November and December 1638 speaking in defense of the bishops. With the onset of the civil war, Balcanquhall lost his mastership at the Savoy, he was sequestered in 1644 and fled to Oxford. He died Christmas day 1645 and was buried in the parish church at Chirk.
