Thomas Hay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Thomas Hay (disambiguation).

Thomas Hay
Senior posting

Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Ross
Title	Bishop of Ross
Period in office	1483–1488 × 1492
Predecessor	William Elphinstone
Successor	John Guthrie
Personal
Date of birth	unknown
Place of birth	unknown
Date of death	1488 × 1492 ?

Thomas Hay was a 15th century Scottish prelate. A canon of the diocese and cathedral of Aberdeen, on the translation of William Elphinstone from Bishop of Ross to Bishop of Aberdeen, Hay was provided as Elphinstone's successor in Ross, this occurring on May 16, 1483.^[1] He was probably the Thomas Hay who held the Aberdeen prebend of Turriff.^[2]

It was Bishop Hay who, on September 12, 1487, with the consent of the cathedral chapter of Fortrose and at the request of King James III of Scotland, erected the church of St Duthac at Tain into a collegiate church, "for the increase of the divine worship of the chapel or collegiate church of the blessed confessor Duthac of Tain".^[3]

The new church consisted of and was to support one provost, two deacons or sub-deacons, a sacrist, an assistant sacrist, and three child choristers; the five prebendary canonries where to be Cambuscurry, Dunskeath, Morangie, Newmore and Tarlogie.^[4] The erection was confirmed under the Great Seal of Scotland on December 3, and was confirmed by Pope Innocent VIII in 1492.^[5]

Bishop Hay was at parliament on January 11, 1488, his last appearance in any contemporary sources.^[6] Hay's episcopate therefore lasted until at least 1488; it did not last beyond early 1492, the latest possible date for the appearance of John Guthrie as his successor; it is unclear if Bishop Hay died, or if he resigned, or if got demoted, though death is the most likely.^[7]

[edit] Notes

^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 221; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 269.
^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 222.
^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 222; Cowan & Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 228, where quote can be found.
^ Cowan & Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 228; Dowden, Bishops, p. 222, n. 2.
^ Cowan & Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 228.
^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 222; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 269.
^ Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 269.

[edit] References

Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976)
Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
Keith, Robert, An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688, (London, 1824)
Watt, D. E. R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)