William Scheves was the second Archbishop of St. Andrews. In his earlier ecclesiastical career, he had been clericus regiae (royal cleric) and Master of the hospital of Brechin

Brechin

Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...

. In 1474 he was provided unsuccessful to the Archdeaconry of Dunblane

Archdeacon of Dunblane

The Archdeacon of Dunblane was the only archdeacon in the Diocese of Dunblane, acting as a deputy of the Bishop of Dunblane. The first archdeacon, Andrew , was called "Archdeacon of Modhel" ; archdeacons Jonathan, Gilbert and Luke were styled "Archdeacon of Dunblane", while John and Duncan were...

, but by the beginning of 1477 he was Archdeacon of St Andrews

Archdeacon of St Andrews

The Archdeacon of St Andrews was the head of the Archdeaconry of St Andrews, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews, from the twelfth to the seventeenth century...

 and coadjutor (successor) and Vicar-General of the archdiocese. After the deposition of Archbishop Patrick Graham in 1478, he succeeded to the archbishopric, apparently receiving the papal

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 pall

Pall

Pall may refer to:* Pall , a cloth used to cover a coffin* Pall , a Y-shaped heraldic charge* Pall , a piece of stiffened linen used to cover the chalice at the Eucharist* Pall Corporation, a global business...

 while in the presence of King James III

James III of Scotland

James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...

 and many of the nobility at Holyrood

Holyrood Palace

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...

.

The archbishop was given connections to the Christian

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 areas of the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 under Ottoman

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 control. He was styled "Bishop of Delphi", and his subordinate, James Lindsay, was appointed "Bishop of Dionysias" as a suffragan of the Archbishop of St. Andrews. William's name is even noted in one Greek chronicle.

In the Arbuthnott Missal there is a striking full-page miniature painting of St Ternan, patron saint of the church of Arbuthnott

Arbuthnott

Arbuthnott is a small village in northeast Scotland, 26 miles south of Aberdeen. It is located on the B967 east of Fordoun and north-west of Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire. The nearest train station is Stonehaven....

, which is modelled on William Scheves, and can claim to be one of the earliest Scottish portraits.

Scheves died on 28 January 1497.