Balnaves, Henry

Balnaves, Henry, a Scottish Protestant, was born at Kirkcaldy, in Fife, in the reign of James V, probably in 1520, and educated at the University of St. Andrews. He completed his studies on the Continent, and on his return to Scotland entered the family of the earl of Arran, but was dismissed in 1542 for embracing the Protestant religion. In 1546 he was implicated in the murder of cardinal Beaten; and having taken refige in the Castle of St. Andrews, which was afterwards compelled to surrender to the French, he was taken with the garrison to France. While confined at Rouen he wrote his work entitled Confession of Faith, but it was not published until 1584. He returned to Scotland about 1559. and, having joined the Congregation, was appointed one of the commissioners to treat with the duke of Norfolk on the part of queen Elizabeth. In 1563 he was made one of the lords of session, and was appointed by the General Assembly, with other learned men, to revise the Book of Discipline. He died at Edinburgh in 1579.