William Arnot

William Arnot (1808–1875) was a Scottish minister and theological writer. He served in the Church of Scotland but moved to the Free Church of Scotland at the Disruption of 1843.

Early life and education

He was born on 6 November 1808 at a farm in the parish of Forgandenny near Scone, where his father was a farmer. William was the youngest of seven children. His mother died at his birth. He was educated at the local parish school then trained as a gardener alongside his older brother Robert Arnot. He worked independently as a gardener from age 16 to 20. He then decided to study for the ministry. In November 1828 he left for Glasgow and, after a year of private study, entered Glasgow University in October 1829. He had two noteworthy classmates, whose biographies he later wrote: James Halley, who died quite young, and James Hamilton, later minister of the National Scottish Church in Regent Square, London.

Ministry

After completing his theological studies he was licensed by the Church of Scotland in October 1837 and became assistant minister to Rev John Bonar of Larbert and Dunipace. In 1838 he found a patron and was ordained minister of St Peter's Church in Glasgow, one of the new quoad sacra churches built under the extension scheme of Thomas Chalmers.

At the Disruption of 1843 he left the established church and joined the Free Church of Scotland, taking a large portion of his congregation with him.

In 1863, on the appointment of Rev Dr Robert Rainy to a professorship, Arnot was called to replace Rainy as minister of the Free High Church in Edinburgh, housed in New College, Edinburgh.