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The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. If the foundation charter of the monastery at Scone is reliable, then the Bishopric of Moray was in existence as early as the reign of King Alexander I of Scotland (1107–1124), but was certainly in existence by 1127, when one Gregoir ("Gregorius") is mentioned as "Bishop of Moray" in a charter of king David I of Scotland. The bishopric had its seat (Latin: Cathedra) at Elgin and Elgin Cathedral, but was severally at Birnie, Kinneddar and as late as Bishop Andreas de Moravia at Spynie, where the bishops continued to maintain a palace. The Bishopric of Moray, like other Scottish bishoprics, ceased to exist after the Scottish Reformation, although a Anglican bishopric was set up in 1573, the predecessor of the Bishop of Inverness. The Bishops fortified seat for over 500 years was at Spynie Palace
[edit] List of known bishops of Moray
| Tenure |
Incumbent |
Notes |
| fl. x1114-1127 |
Gregoir |
|
| fl. 1152x1153-1162 |
William |
|
| fl. 1166x1171 |
Felix |
|
| el. 1171; scons. 1172 |
Simon de Toeni |
|
| el./cons. 1187 |
Richard of Lincoln |
|
| bp. 1203 |
Bricius |
He was Prior of Lesmahagow before ascending the bishopric of Moray. In this period, the name Bricius is more often a Latinization of the Gaelic names Máel Brigte and Gilla Brigte than a real name; but it is still possible that Bricius was indeed the bishop's real name. He is sometimes called "Bricius of Douglas". |
| el. 1222; cons. 1223x1224 |
Andreas de Moravia |
|
| el. 1242x1243; cons. 1244 (?) |
Simon |
|
| el. c. 1252 |
Ralph |
Ralph was a canon of the Bishopric of Lincoln; all we know about him was that he was elected. How Archibald came to consecrated in 1253 instead of Ralph is not known. |
| cons. 1253 |
Archibald |
|
| el./cons. |
David de Moravia |
|
| prov./cons. 1326 |
John de Pylmore |
|
| el./prov./cons. 1362 |
Alexander Bur |
|
| prov./cons. 1397 |
William de Spyny |
|
| prov./cons. 1407 |
John de Innes |
|
| el. 1414; prov./cons. 1415 |
Henry de Lychton |
|
| prov. 1422 |
Columba de Dunbar |
|
| prov. 1436; cons. 1437 |
John de Winchester |
|
| prov./cons. 1460 |
James Stewart |
|
| prov. 1462; cons. 1463x1464 |
David Stewart |
|
| trans. 1477 |
William de Tulloch |
|
| el.(?)/prov. 1482; cons. 1485x |
Andrew Stewart |
|
| post./prov. 1501 |
Andrew Forman |
|
| post./prov. 1516 |
James Hepburn |
|
| prov./cons. 1525 |
Robert Shaw |
|
| prov. 1529; cons. 1532(?) |
Alexander Stewart |
|
| prov./cons. 1538 |
Patrick Hepburn |
|
[edit] References
- Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
- Jackson, Kenneth H. (ed), The Gaelic Notes in the Book of Deer, (Cambridge, 1972)
- Lawrie, Sir Archibald, Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153, (Glasgow, 1905)
[edit] External links
