Thomas Nicolson (bishop)

Thomas Nicolson (1645 – 16 August 1718) was a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop. He served as the Vicar Apostolic of Scotland from 1694 until his death.

Born in the Enzie area of Banffshire, Nicolson received his education at the Scots College in Paris and was ordained a priest. He returned to Scotland during a period of intense persecution of Catholics.

In 1694, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Scotland by Pope Innocent XII, and simultaneously consecrated titular Bishop of Pergamia. This was a period of great difficulty for the Catholic Church in Scotland, with legal restrictions and public hostility. Nicolson travelled extensively across the country, ministering to Catholics in secret and ordaining new priests to continue the work of the Church.

He established a junior seminary at Scalan near Glenlivet in 1714, which proved vital in ensuring the continuation of the Catholic priesthood in Scotland, training priests who would later serve in the Scottish Mission. This institution served as a key element in the survival and resurgence of Catholicism in Scotland.

Nicolson died on 16 August 1718, at Preshome, and was succeeded as Vicar Apostolic by James Gordon. His contributions to the preservation of Catholicism in Scotland during a period of severe repression are widely acknowledged.