Nicholas of Arbroath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nicholas |
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| Bishop of Dunblane | |
The arms of the diocese of Dunblane (non-contemporary)
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| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Diocese of Dunblane |
| In Office | 1301–1306 × 1307 |
| Predecessor | Alpín |
| Successor | Nicholas de Balmyle |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 13 November 1301 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | unknown, 13th century unknown |
| Died | 26 January 1306 × 11 December 1307 |
| Previous post | Abbot of Arbroath (1296 × 1299–1301) |
Nicholas (died between 1306 and 1307) was an important church leader in Scotland during the late 1200s and early 1300s. He was a member of the Tironensian Order, a group of monks. Nicholas held two major positions: he was the Abbot of Arbroath Abbey and later the Bishop of Dunblane.
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Becoming an Abbot
Nicholas first became known as the Abbot of Arbroath. An abbot is the head of a monastery, which is a community of monks. We don't know much about Nicholas before he became abbot. He is first mentioned in official records on November 21, 1299. At this time, he was already the Abbot of Arbroath. The previous abbot was last mentioned in 1296. This means Nicholas became abbot sometime between these two dates.
The Path to Bishop
A Difficult Election
As the Abbot of Arbroath, Nicholas was also a "canon" of Dunblane Cathedral. A canon was a priest who was part of the cathedral's governing body. This role allowed him to take part in choosing a new bishop. The previous Bishop of Dunblane, named Alpín, had died. This happened sometime between October 1299 and October 1301.
When it was time to choose a new bishop, the election became complicated. Several canons wanted to become bishop. It was decided that all candidates should travel to the Pope in Rome. They would ask the Pope to decide who should be the new bishop.
Nicholas Travels to the Pope
However, Nicholas was the only candidate who actually made the long and expensive journey to the Pope. Because no other candidates arrived, the Pope decided to choose Nicholas. The Pope officially appointed Nicholas as the new Bishop of Dunblane.
On November 13, 1301, Nicholas was "consecrated" as bishop. This means he was officially made a bishop in a special religious ceremony. He was consecrated by Theodoric, who was the Bishop of Palestrina.
Bishop of Dunblane
Nicholas's time as bishop was quite short and not many details are known about it. He lived during the early years of the Wars of Scottish Independence. These were major conflicts where Scotland fought for its freedom from England. Nicholas's exact role in these wars is not clear.
He is mentioned in some official documents from Coupar Angus Abbey. However, his name doesn't appear often in other records from that time. Nicholas is last mentioned in papal documents on January 26, 1306. He passed away sometime before December 11, 1307. On that date, his successor, Nicholas de Balmyle, was consecrated as the new Bishop of Dunblane in France.
