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The Abbot and then Commendator of Melrose was the head of the monastic community of Melrose Abbey, in the Border region of "Scotland". The abbey was founded in 1136 on the patronage of David I (Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim), King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire. Control of the abbey was secularized in the 16th century and after the accession of James Stewart, the abbey was held by commendators. The last commendator, James Douglas of Lochleven, resigned to abbacy to William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton (his nephew) in December 1606, and the abbey itself to the king in 1608. The abbey (or most of its lands) was then erected into a secular lordship for viscout Haddington, John Ramsay, who in 1609 got the title "Lord Melrose". Lochleven however resumed the title of commendator in 1613 until his death in 1620.

Contents 1 List of Abbots 2 List of Commendators 3 Notes 4 Bibliography

[edit] List of Abbots

• Richard,<ref>Newbattle founded during abbacy; deposed 1148.</ref> 1136-1148<ref>He resigned in 1148, and was not deposed by the Abbot of Rievaulx; he died at Clairvaux in 1149.</ref>
• St. Waltheof,<ref>Previously Sacrist of Rievaulx.</ref> 1148-1159<ref>Holmcultram & Kinloss abbeys founded during abbacy; died August 3, 1159</ref>
• William, 1159-1170 <ref>Coupar Angus Abbey founded; resigned, April 1170.</ref>
• Jocelin, 1170-1174<ref>Elected Bishop of Glasgow, May 23, 1174; retained abbacy until consecration to bishopric in May 1175</ref>
• Laurence, 1175-1178<ref>A Melrose monk, formerly abbot of some short-lived cistercian foundation in Orkney; elected May, 1174; died January, 1179.</ref>
• Ernald, 1179-89<ref>Abbot from Jabuary, 1179; in March 1189, elected as Abbot of Rievaulx.</ref>
• Reiner,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Kinross</ref> 1189-94<ref>Resigned Melrose in 1194.</ref>
• Radulf (I),<ref>Formerly Abbot of Kinross.</ref> 1194-1202<ref>In 1202, elected Bishop of Down in Ireland.</ref>
• William,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Coupar Angus.</ref> 1202-06
• Patrick,<ref>Formerly sub-prior of the convent.</ref> 1206-07
• Adam, 1207-13<ref>Made Bishop of Caithness in 1213.</ref>
• Hugh de Clipstone, 1214-15<ref>Elected May, 1214; resigned at Citeaux in November, 1215.</ref>
• William de Courcy, 1215-6<ref>Promoted to the abbacy of Rievaulx.</ref>
• Radulf II,<ref>Former cellerar.</ref> 1216-1219<ref>Died 1219.</ref>
• Adam de Harkarres,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Newbattle.</ref> 1219-46<ref>Succeeded on August 6th; 15th Abbot. Died probably in 1246.</ref>
• Matthew,<ref>Former cellarer of Melrose.</ref> 1246-61<ref>One authorty claims that he resigned because of infirmity (at Melrose) on July 24, 1261, while another claims that he was deposed at Rievaulx by the Abbot of Rievaulx.</ref>
• Adam of Maxton,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Newbattle.</ref> 1261-67<ref>Deposed by the General Cistercian Chapter, 1267.</ref>
• John de Edrom (or Ederham), 1267-68 x 69<ref>Excommunicated by council of Scottish church in 1268; resigned 1268x69.</ref>
• Robert de Keldeleth,<ref>Former monk of Newbattle, Abbot of Dunfermline and Chancellor of Scotland.</ref> 1269-73
• Patrick de Selkirk, 1273-96
•  ???<ref>Although the First Scottish War of Independence was taking place at this time, the length of ""vacancy" nevertheless implies that at least one person held the abbacy post between 1296 and 1310.</ref>
• William de Fogo, 1310-1329
• Thomas de Soutra, 1333 x 1335-x1342
• William de St Andrews, 1342-1376
• Gilbert de Roxburgh, 1391-1392
• David Benyng (or Binning), 1394-1422
• John Fogo, 1425-1434
• Richard Londy (or Lundy), 1440-1444
• Andrew Hunter, 1444-1465<ref>One source mentions an abbot called William for June 2, 1460, but this looks like it's probably a mistake.</ref>
• Robert Blackadder, 1471-1483
• Richard Lamb, 1472-1483<ref>Was elected by the brethren and received recognition from the bishop of Glasgow; Blackadder had had the abbacy reserved to him without taking up the monastic habit, but by 1476 resigned his claim, probably in return for a pension. Lamb contracted leprosy a few years before his death.</ref>
• John Brown (or Carnecorss), 1483-1486
•  ???, 1486<ref name="unknown">Died soon after election; name unknown.</ref>
•  ???, 1486<ref name="unknown"/>
• David Brown, 1486-1507/10
  • Bernard Bell, rival to David Brown, 1486-1503
  • William Turnbull, rival to David Brown, 1503-1507<ref>Became Abbot of Coupar Angus.</ref>
• Robert Betoun,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Glenluce and then Abbot of Coupar Angus, which he exchanged with Turnbull for his claims to Melrose.</ref> 1507/10-1521 x 1524
• John Maxwell,<ref>Formerly Abbot of Dundrennan.</ref> 1524-1526
• Andrew Dury, 1525-1541<ref>Became Bishop of Galloway.</ref>

[edit] List of Commendators

• James Stewart,<ref>Aged 14; was already Commendator of Kelso; he was an illegitimate son of King [[James V of Scotland], but not James Stewart.</ref> 1535-1557
• Louis de Guise,<ref>Became Commendator of Melrose and Kelso after the death of James Stewart until 1559.</ref> 1558-1559
• James Balfour, 1559-1564
• Michael Balfour, 1564-1568
• James Douglas of Lochleven,<ref>Second son of Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus.</ref> 1569-1620

[edit] Notes

[edit] Bibliography

• Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 76-77
• Fawcett, Richard, & Oram, Richard, Melrose Abbey, (Stroud, 2004)
• Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries (The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24), (Edinburgh, 2001), p. 149-55

Prelates of Medieval Scotland (post-1100)
Archbishops	Glasgow (1492) | St Andrews (1472)
Bishops	Aberdeen | Argyll | Brechin | Caithness | Dunblane | Dunkeld | Galloway | Glasgow | Isles (Sodor) | Moray | Orkney | Ross | St Andrews
Abbots	Arbroath | Balmerino | Cambuskenneth | Coupar Angus | Crossraguel | Culross | Deer | Dercongal (Holywood) | Dryburgh | Dundrennan | Dunfermline | Fearn | Glenluce | Holyrood | Inchaffray | Inchcolm | Iona | Jedburgh | Kelso (Selkirk) | Kilwinning | Kinloss | Lindores | Melrose | Newbattle | Paisley | Saddell | Scone | Soulseat | Sweatheart | Tongland
Priors	Ardchattan | Beauly | Blantyre | Canonbie | Coldingham | Fogo | Fyvie | Inchmahome | Lesmahagow | May (Pittenweem) | Monymusk | Oronsay | Pluscarden | Restenneth | St Andrews | Strathfillan | St Mary's Isle | St Serf's Inch, Loch Leven | Urquhart | Whithorn