March 1 in Scottish History

On this day in 1546, George Wishart was burnt at the stake as a heretic by Cardinal Beaton. Born c1513, Wishart was a close friend and mentor of John Knox, and was the first to translate the Helvetic Confession into English. On the day of his execution, the captain of the guard gave Wishart bags of gunpowder to hide in his clothing in order to ease his suffering on the pyre. The executioner fell prostrate before him, asking forgiveness, which Wishart granted. Cardinal Beaton famously watched the execution from his window, turning many Scots against him, and on 29 May, a Protestant gang, enraged by the execution of Wishart, broke into the Cardinal's residence and murdered him.

On March 1 1910, David Niven, the Scottish film actor and author, was born. His films include 'A Matter of Life and Death', 'Around the World in 80 Days', 'The Guns of Navarone' and 'The Pink Panther'. He is also well known as the author of the bestselling autobiography, 'The Moon's a Balloon'.

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