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'''George Gleig''' (12 May 1753 – 9 March 1840) was a [[Primus of Scotland|Primus]] of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]].

He was born at [[Boghall]], [[Aberdeenshire (unitary authority area)|Aberdeenshire]], [[Scotland]], the son of a farmer. At the age of thirteen he entered [[King's College, Aberdeen|King's College]], [[University of Aberdeen]], where the first prize in [[mathematics]] and [[Physics|physical]] and moral sciences fell to him. In his twenty-first year he took orders in the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], and was ordained to the pastoral charge of a congregation at [[Pittenweem]], [[Fife]], whence he removed in 1790 to [[Stirling]]. He became a frequent contributor to the ''[[Monthly Review]]'', the ''[[Gentleman's Magazine]]'', the ''[[Anti-Jacobin Review]]'' and the ''[[British Critic]]''.

He also wrote several articles for the third edition of the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', and on the death of the editor, [[Colin Macfarquhar]], in 1793, was engaged to edit the remaining volumes. Among his principal contributions to this work were articles on [[Instinct]], [[Theology]] and [[Metaphysics]]. The two supplementary volumes were mainly his own work.

He was twice chosen [[bishop of Dunkeld]], but the opposition of [[John Skinner|Bishop Skinner]], afterwards Primus of Scotland, rendered the election on both occasions ineffectual. In 1808 he was consecrated assistant and successor to the [[bishop of Brechin]], in 1810 was preferred to the sole charge, and in 1816 was elected Primus of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], in which capacity he greatly aided in the introduction of many useful reforms, in fostering a more catholic and tolerant spirit, and in cementing a firm alliance with the sister [[Church of England]]. He died at [[Stirling]].

Besides various sermons, Gleig was the author of ''Directions for the Study of Theology'', in a series of letters from a bishop to his son on his admission to holy orders (1827); an edition of Stackhouse's ''History of the Bible'' (1817); and a life of Robertson the historian, prefixed to an edition of his works. See ''Life of Bishop Gleig'', by the Rev. W. Walker (1879). Letters to [[Alexander Henderson]] of Edinburgh and [[John Douglas (bishop)|John Douglas]], bishop of Salisbury, are in the [[British Museum]].

His third and only surviving son, [[George Robert Gleig|George Robert]], was a noted soldier and chaplain.

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==References==
*{{Wikisource1911Enc Citation|Gleig, George}}
{{Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church}}

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[[Category:Encyclopædia Britannica]]
[[Category:Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church]]
[[Category:1753 births]]
[[Category:1840 deaths]]
[[Category:Encyclopedists]]
[[Category:Scottish Episcopalian clergy]]
[[Category:Metaphysics writers]]
[[Category:People from Aberdeenshire]]
[[Category:18th-century Anglican clergy]]
[[Category:19th-century Anglican bishops]]
[[Category:Scottish journalists]]
[[Category:Scottish theologians]]
[[Category:Scottish writers]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Scottish Episcopal Church]]

[[pt:George Gleig]]
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