Abbot of Inchcolm facts for kids
The Abbot of Inchcolm was the main leader of a special group of Augustinian monks who lived at Inchcolm Abbey. This abbey was on an island called Inchcolm. Before the year 1235, this leader was known as the Prior of Inchcolm. The island's name, Inchcolm, means "Columba's Island" in Latin.
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Who Led Inchcolm Abbey?
Over many years, different people held the important role of leading the monks at Inchcolm Abbey. Here's a list of the leaders, first as Priors and then as Abbots.
Priors of Inchcolm
The Prior was the first type of leader for the monks at Inchcolm.
- Brice (also known as Máel Brigte?), active between 1162 and 1178
- Roger, active between 1163 and 1178
- Walter (the First), from before 1179 to 1210
- Michael, from 1210 to 1211
- Simon, from 1211, but the end date is not known
- William, the start date is not known, but he was active until 1224
- Nigel of Jedburgh, from 1224 to before 1228
- Henry, from before 1228 to 1243
Abbots of Inchcolm
In 1235, the title of the leader changed from Prior to Abbot. This was often seen as a step up!
- Henry, who was promoted to abbot in 1235; he stepped down in 1243
- Thomas, from 1243 or 1244 to 1268
- William, from 1268 to sometime after that, but before 1277
- Brice, active in 1296
- There's a gap here, and no abbots are known until:
- John Dersy, who passed away in 1394
- Laurence, from before 1399 to 1417
- Walter Bower, from 1417 to 1449
- John Kers, from 1449 to sometime between 1460 and 1465
- Michael Harwar, from sometime between 1460 and 1465 to before 1490
- Alexander Scrimgeour, from before 1490 to 1491
- Robert de Fontibus, from 1491 to 1492
- Thomas Inglis, from 1492 to 1505
- John Elwand (also known as Elliot), from 1505 to before 1532
- Richard Abercromby, from 1532 to 1543
Later Leaders: Titular Abbots and Commendators
After a while, the role changed again. A "titular abbot" or "commendator" was someone who held the title and received income from the abbey, but might not have been a monk or lived there full-time.
- James Stewart, from 1544 to 1581; after 1558, he was often called a commendator; he passed away in 1590
- Henry Stewart, who passed away in 1612
