Archibald Bower
An 18th-century Scottish historian whose dramatic shifts between Catholicism and Protestantism made his life story more debated than his writings.
1686–1766 (age 80)·Scottish historian·Birthday: January 17
Biography
Archibald Bower's life reads like a theological thriller, marked by defections, recantations, and public controversy. Born in Scotland, he was educated as a Jesuit in Rome but dramatically left the Catholic faith, converting to Anglicanism and later becoming a Presbyterian. He settled in England and embarked on his major work, a multi-volume 'History of the Popes,' which was met with fierce criticism from Catholic writers who attacked his credibility. His opponents published detailed accounts accusing him of secretly remaining a Catholic, leading to a protracted and bitter public war of pamphlets. Modern scholars generally view his personal narratives with skepticism, seeing them as unreliable. Bower's historical significance lies less in his scholarly output and more in his embodiment of the fierce religious polemics of his age.
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Archibald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1686Born
1691Started school
1699Became a teenager
1702Could drive
1704Could vote
1707Turned 21
1716Turned 30
1726Turned 40
1736Turned 50
1746Turned 60
1756Turned 70
1766Turned 80
Key Achievements
- Published the multi-volume work 'The History of the Popes'.
- Engaged in a famous and protracted public controversy regarding his religious convictions.
- His life and conflicting accounts became a noted case study in 18th-century religious polemics.
Did You Know?
He was once a Jesuit, studying at the Collegium Romanum in Rome.
Bower was a founding contributor to the 'Monthly Review', an influential early literary journal.
He faced a lawsuit for libel from a critic of his 'History of the Popes'.
“I write history not to please a party, but to follow the evidence wherever it leads.”
