Bishop of Ross
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The Bishop of Ross was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Ross, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first recorded bishop appears in the late 7th century as a witness to Adomnán of Iona's Cáin Adomnáin. The bishopric was based at the settlement of Rosemarkie until the mid-13th century, afterwards being moved to nearby Fortrose and Fortrose Cathedral. As far as the evidence goes, this bishoric was the oldest of all bishoprics north of the Forth, and was perhaps the only Pictish bishopric until the 9th century. Indeed, the Cáin Adomnáin indicates that in the reign of Bruide mac Der Ilei, king of the Picts, the bishop of Rosemarkie was the only significant figure in Pictland other than the king. The bishopric is located conveniently close to the heartland of Fortriu, being just across the water from Moray.
However, in the High and Later Middle Ages, the bishopric was only of medium-to-low status in the Scottish church. The Bishopric ceased to exist after the Scottish Reformation.
Contents |
[edit] List of known bishops of Ross
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| fl. fl. 690x710 | Curetán | |
| fl. 1127x1131 | Mac Bethad | |
| fl. 1147x1151-1155 | Symeon | |
| cons. 1161 | Gregoir | |
| el./cons. 1195 | Reginald | |
| el. 1213 | Andreas de Moravia | Was elected, but got permission from the Pope to resign. |
| el. 1213 | Robert (I.) | |
| cons. 1249x1250 | Robert (II.) | |
| el./conf./cons. 1272 | Matthew | |
| el. 1274x1275; conf. 1275 | Robert de Fifyne | |
| el. x1295 | Adam | After the death of Bishop Robert (III.), both Adam, precentor of Ross, and Thomas of Dundee were elected to the see. "Master Adam" voyaged to Rome, and there resigned his claim in Thomas' favour. |
| el. x1295; prov. 1295 | Thomas de Donde | |
| prov./cons. 1325 | Roger | |
| prov. 1350 | Alexander Stewart | |
| el. x1371; prov. 1371 | Alexander Kylquhous | |
| el./prov. 1398 | Alexander | |
| el. 1417x1418 | Thomas Lyel | It appears that, although he appears briefly in the sources as "Bishop elect", he never appears to have been consecrated. |
| prov. 1418; cons. 1420 | John Bullock | |
| el. x1440 | Andrew de Munroy | Previously, Archdeacon of Ross. He had been postulated by the chapter, but despite great expense and effort, Pope Eugene IV disallowed the postulation and appointed the bishopric to Thomas de Tullach (Thomas Urquhart}. |
| prov./cons.(?) 1440 | Thomas de Tullach | |
| prov. 1461; cons. 1463 | Henry Cockburn | |
| bp. 1477 | John Wodman | |
| prov. 1481 | William Elphinstone | Was provided by Pope Sixtus IV, but in 1483 was translated to the Bishopric of Aberdeen. |
| prov. 1483 | Thomas Hay | |
| el. 1491 (?); prov. 1492 | John Guthrie | |
| el. 1497; prov. 1498 | John Frisel | |
| post./prov. 1507 | Robert Cockburn | |
| prov. 1524; cons. 1525x | James Hay | |
| prov. 1539 | Robert Cairncross | |
| prov. 1547; cons. 1552x | David Paniter | |
| prov. 1561 | Henry Sinclair | |
| prov. 1566 (?) & 1575 | John Leslie |
[edit] Abbreviations
- bp. = Bishop, signifying beginning or period as bishop; used when method of attainment is unknown.
- cons. = consecrate as bishop by church authorities
- el. = elected as bishop by the clergy
- post. = postulated, i.e. nominated for the bishopric (i.e. by the monarch)
- prov. = provision by the Pope
- suc. = succeeded
- trans. = translated to bishopric from other bishopric
[edit] References
- Anderson, Alan Orr, Early Sources of Scottish History: AD 500–1286, 2 Vols, (Edinburgh, 1922), vol. i
- Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
- Lawrie, Sir Archibald, Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153, (Glasgow, 1905)
[edit] External links
| 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 |
