Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Manderstown, William
MANDERSTOWN, WILLIAM (fl. 1515–1540), philosopher, was born in the diocese of St. Andrews, probably at the town of Manderston, Stirlingshire. Educated apparently at St. Andrews, he subsequently proceeded to the university of Paris, where he graduated licentiate in medicine, and became one of the school of Terminists, at whose head was John Major (1469–1550) [q. v.] In 1518 Manderstown published at Paris two works, ‘Bipartitum in Morali Philosophia Opusculum,’ 12mo, dedicated to James Beaton [q. v.], archbishop of St. Andrews, and ‘Tripartitum Epithoma Doctrinale,’ 12mo; in the first work he is said to have plagiarised from ‘Hieronymus Angestus;’ copies of both are preserved in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. On 15 Dec. 1525 he was chosen one of the rectors of the university of Paris (Du Boulay, Univ. Paris. vi. 977). Before 1539 he had returned to Scotland, for in that year, along with John Major, he founded a bursary or chaplaincy in St. Salvator's, and endowed it with the rents of certain houses in South Street, St. Andrews. On 3 April in the same year Manderstown witnessed a charter at Dunfermline Monastery, and also appears as rector of Gogar. The date of his death is unknown. Tanner wrongly places it in 1520. Besides the books above mentioned, Tanner attributes to Manderstown: 1. ‘In Ethicam Aristotelis ad Nicomachum Comment.’ 2. ‘Quæstionem de Futuro Contingenti.’ 3. ‘De Arte Chymica.’
[Du Boulay's Univ. Paris. Hist. vi. 977; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. p. 505; Chronicles and Memorials of Scotland—Reg. Magni Sigilli, 1513–1546; Mackay's Life of John Mair, pp. 76, 97; Cat. Advocates' Library.]