Archbishop of St Andrews facts for kids
The Bishop of St. Andrews was a very important church leader in Scotland. This person was the head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church. Later, starting on August 14, 1472, this role became even more important. It was then called the Archbishop of St. Andrews.
The town and church were not always called St. Andrews. Its first name was Cellrígmonaid. This means "church of the king's mounth." The area was called Cennrígmonaid, which means "head of the king's mounth." Over time, the town became known as Kilrymont. Today, the name St Andrews is used for both the town and the church area.
The position of bishop in this area likely started between the years 700 and 900. By the 11th century, it was clearly the most important bishopric in all of Scotland.
Contents
Early Church Leaders: Abbots
There was a monastery in St. Andrews as early as the 8th century. A monastery is a place where monks live and work. Monks called Céli Dé probably took over this monastery in the 9th or 10th centuries. They continued to be there until the 14th century.
The leader of this monastery was called an abbot. It is sometimes thought that the abbot and bishop were the same person for a while. However, there is no clear proof of this. Only a few abbots from this early time are known.
| Leader | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Túathalán | d. 747 | His death is recorded in old writings. This is the first time we hear about a church in St. Andrews. |
| Unknown number of unnamed abbots | Many bishops before Fothad II might have also been abbots. | |
| Gille Críst | fl. 1172–1178 | He was called an abbot. This shows that the Céli Dé monks kept their independence. |
Important Church Leaders: Bishops
Before the 11th century, the "bishop of the Scots" might not have had a fixed home. They likely settled in St. Andrews eventually. These leaders played a big role in the church history of Scotland.
| Leader | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cellach I | fl. 878–906 | He was bishop during the time of King Giric. |
| Fothad I | d. 963 | He was bishop when King Idulb ruled. Old records say he died in 963. |
| Máel Ísu I | 955/6–963/4 | He was bishop for 8 years. |
| Cellach II | fl. 966–971 | He was bishop for 25 years. |
| Máel Muire | fl. late-10th century | |
| Máel Ísu II | fl. late 10th century/early 11th century | |
| Ailín | fl. early 11th century | |
| Máel Dúin | d. 1055 | Records show he died in 1055. |
| Túathal | 1055–59 | He was bishop for 4 years. |
| Fothad II | 1059?–1093 | He performed the marriage of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Margaret around 1070. He died in 1093. |
| Giric | 1093–1107 | He is mentioned in an old story about the founding of St. Andrews. |
| Cathróe | 1093–1107 | He was one of four bishops chosen for the role. |
| Turgot of Durham | 1107–1115 | |
| Eadmer | el. 1120–1121 | He was chosen but never officially became bishop. |
| Robert of Scone | 1123/24–1159 | He was previously a leader at Scone. |
| Ernald | 1160–1162 | Another leader, Waltheof, was offered the job first but said no. |
| Richard the Chaplain | 1163–1178 | |
| Hugh the Chaplain | 1178–1188 | John the Scot was against him. |
| John Scotus | 1178–1188 | He was against Bishop Hugh. He never took the position. |
| Roger de Beaumont | 1189–1202 | |
| Geoffrey de Liberatione | postulated 1202 | He was Bishop of Dunkeld. The Pope said no to him becoming bishop here. |
| William de Malveisin | 1202–1238 | He was previously Bishop of Glasgow. |
| David de Bernham | 1239–1253 | He was previously a high-ranking official in Scotland. |
| Robert de Stuteville | el. 1253 | He was chosen but never officially became bishop. |
| Abel de Gullane | 1254 | |
| Gamelin | 1255–1271 | |
| William Wishart | 1271–1279 | |
| William Fraser | 1279–1297 | |
| William de Lamberton | 1297–1328 | |
| Alexander de Kininmund | el. 1328 | He was chosen but replaced by John Bane. |
| James Bane | 1328–1332 | |
| William Bell | el. 1332–1342 | He was chosen but likely never confirmed. |
| William de Landallis | 1342–1385 | |
| During a time called the Western Schism (1378–1417), there were two Popes. Scotland followed the Pope in Avignon. These are the bishops he recognized: | ||
| Stephen de Pa | 1385–1386 | He was not officially made bishop. He was captured by pirates and never took the position. |
| Walter Trail | 1385–1401 | |
| Thomas Stewart | el. 1401–1402 | He was never officially made bishop. He was the son of King Robert II of Scotland. He gave up his claim soon after being chosen. |
| Walter de Danielston | el. 1402 | He was not officially made bishop. |
| Gilbert de Greenlaw | postulated 1403 | He was not officially made bishop. The Pope refused to confirm him. |
| Henry Wardlaw | 1403–1440 | |
| At the same time, the Pope in Rome appointed other bishops. None of them took the position in St. Andrews. | ||
| Alexander Neville | trans. 1388–1392 | He was an exiled Archbishop. The Pope appointed him to St. Andrews. He died in 1392. |
| Thomas Arundel | trans. 1398–1399 | He was an exiled Archbishop. The Pope appointed him to St. Andrews before he returned to his old role. |
| John Trevor | trans. 1408–1410 | He was formerly a bishop in another area. He died in 1410. |
| After the disagreement between the Popes ended, the following bishops were recognized: | ||
| James Kennedy | 1440–1465 | |
| Patrick Graham | 1465–1472/8 | He was made an archbishop in 1472. |
Archbishops of St. Andrews
In 1472, the role of Bishop of St. Andrews became even more important. Pope Sixtus IV made it an archbishopric. This meant the leader was now an Archbishop. The Scottish church later separated from Rome in 1560 during the Scottish Reformation.
| Leader | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Graham | 1472–1478 | He was removed from his position in 1478. |
| William Scheves | 1478–1497 | He had been helping the archbishop since 1476. |
| James Stewart, Duke of Ross | 1497–1504 | |
| Alexander Stewart | 1504–1513 | He died in a battle called the Battle of Flodden. |
| John Hepburn | el. 1513 | He was chosen but the Pope did not accept him. |
| Innocenzo Cybo | 1513–1514 | He was the nephew of Pope Leo X. The Pope appointed him instead of John Hepburn. |
| William Elphinstone | 1513–1514 | He was chosen but died before taking the position. |
| Gavin Douglas | 1513–1514 | He was chosen but the Pope did not accept him. He became Bishop of Dunkeld instead. |
| Andrew Forman | 1514–1521 | He was a bishop in another area. He became Archbishop of St. Andrews. |
| James Beaton | 1522–1539 | |
| David Beaton | 1539–1546 | He had been helping since 1537. He also became a cardinal. |
| John Hamilton | 1547–1571 | |
| Gavin Hamilton | 1571 | He had been helping since 1551. |
| John Douglas | 1571–1574 | |
| Patrick Adamson | 1575–1592 | |
| George Gledstanes | 1604–1615 | |
| John Spottiswoode | 1615–1638 | |
| The system of bishops was stopped between 1638 and 1661. | ||
| James Sharp | 1661–1679 | He was the first Archbishop when the system was brought back. |
| Alexander Burnet | 1679–1684 | |
| Arthur Rose | 1684–1689 (1704) | |
| In 1689, the system of bishops was declared ended in the Church of Scotland. However, it continued in the Scottish Episcopal Church. | ||
| In 1878, the Roman Catholic church brought back its system of leaders. For the current Catholic Archbishops of St. Andrews, see Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. | ||
See also
- Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh (for modern Catholic Archbishopric of St Andrews and Edinburgh)
- Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane (for modern Episcopalian Bishopric of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane)
