John Woodman facts for kids

John Woodman was an important church leader in Scotland during the 1400s. He was known for holding several key positions in the church. John Woodman died sometime between 1480 and 1481.

Who Was John Woodman?

John Woodman was a churchman, meaning he worked for the church. He lived in the Kingdom of Scotland in the 15th century. He was a canon (a type of priest) in the diocese of St Andrews.

Early Church Roles

John Woodman was chosen to be the Prior of Pittenweem. A prior is a leader in a religious community. This happened after the previous prior, James Kennedy, passed away. However, another person named Walter Monypenny also wanted the job. The new bishop, Patrick Graham, wanted the position for himself too.

Disputes Over Positions

John Woodman had legal battles over the Prior of Pittenweem role. By September 1466, he had lost the case to Walter Monypenny. The bishop also took control of the position. Even so, Woodman continued to claim he was the rightful prior until 1477. This was the same year he became the Bishop of Ross.

After November 1465, Bishop Patrick Graham appointed Woodman as Prior of Restenneth. This led to more legal disputes. Woodman had to fight against the person already holding that position, James Dunmain. Woodman was not successful in this case.

In 1468, while still in legal disputes with Dunmain, Woodman was appointed as Abbot of Jedburgh. An abbot is the head of a monastery. The previous abbot, Andrew Bolton, had died. The Bishop of Glasgow tried to appoint Robert Turnbull as the new abbot. But John Woodman was able to get the Pope's approval for the job.

Becoming a Bishop

John Woodman was chosen to be the Bishop of Ross sometime between July and August 1476. A bishop is a senior leader in the church. He is in charge of a specific area called a diocese.

His Time as Bishop of Ross

By August 1477, John Woodman was known as the Bishop-elect of Ross. This means he had been chosen but not yet fully confirmed. In October of that year, he made a payment to the papacy. The papacy refers to the Pope and the system of government of the Catholic Church. He paid 321 gold florins, which were old Italian coins.

He was still referred to as the Bishop-elect in May 1478. In 1480, Woodman was in the archdiocese of York. He might have been working as a suffragan bishop, which is a bishop who helps another bishop. However, this is not certain. We do not know exactly when he became a full bishop.

John Woodman died sometime in 1480 or 1481. After his death, William Elphinstone was appointed as the new Bishop of Ross on August 3, 1481.