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Bassantin (or Bassantoun), James (ca. 1504-1568)

Scottish astrologer and mathematician, the son of the laird of Bassandean in the Merse, Berwickshire, Scotland, born in the reign of James IV. After studying mathematics at the University of Glasgow, he traveled for further studies on the Continent. He subsequently went to Paris, where for some years he taught mathematics at the university. He returned to Scotland in 1562.

There was a prevailing belief in judicial astrology at that time, particularly in France. On his way home through England, according to Sir James Melville's memoirs, Bassantin met with Sir Robert Melville (brother of Sir James), who was at that time engaged on the part of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots in endeavoring to effect a meeting between her and Elizabeth. Bassantin predicted that all his efforts would be in vain, which proved to be true.

Bassantin was a zealous Protestant. His principal work is a treatise on astronomy, written in French and translated into Latin by John Tornaesius, which was published at Geneva in 1599. He wrote four other treatises on mathematics and horoscopes, but they do not appear to have been published.