Robert of Scone facts for kids

Robert of Scone (died 1159) was an important church leader in Scotland during the 12th century. He became the Bishop of Cell Rígmonaid, which is known today as St Andrews. We don't know exactly where Robert came from, but he was a type of priest called an Augustinian canon from a place called St. Oswald's Priory in England. His French-sounding name suggests he might have had Norman family roots, even if he was born in the late 1000s.

Robert Becomes Prior of Scone

Robert was a very important church official during the time of King Alexander I of Scotland. King Alexander chose him to be the first leader, or Prior, of the Scone Priory. This was a major Augustinian monastery that King Alexander wanted to establish. Some historians believe this happened as early as 1114. An old writer named Walter Bower said that the bishop of Cell Rígmonaid, Thurgot, officially opened the new priory. Since Thurgot left Scotland in 1115, this date seems possible.

However, many historians thought 1114 was too early because the Augustinian rules weren't officially adopted at Nostell (where Robert came from) until 1119. But, as some experts point out, the official date for rules doesn't always show when a monastery actually started its work. Also, King Alexander was in England in 1114, working for King Henry I of England, which might have been a good time to make such an important appointment.

Robert Becomes Bishop of St Andrews

Because Robert was so important to King Alexander, he was a natural choice for the most important church position in Scotland: Bishop of St Andrews. He was likely chosen for this role in 1124. A historical record, the Chronicle of Melrose, says that King Alexander had Robert elected as bishop a few months before the king died. However, Robert's official blessing, called a "consecration," was delayed for some time.

This delay happened because of a disagreement. The Archbishop of York in England wanted the Scottish bishops to promise to obey him. But the Scottish kings, who ruled the Kingdom of Alba, refused to let their bishops do this. Luckily, Robert was able to get his consecration in 1127 from Archbishop Thurstan of York without having to make that promise. It's thought they agreed that this wouldn't set a rule for the future.

Robert's Work for the Church

Robert served as bishop for about 30 years, and this was a very important time for the St Andrews bishopric. He worked hard to bring the Augustinian Order to Scotland. In 1144, he successfully brought Augustinian monks to St Andrews to start a Cathedral Priory there. He did this with help from Athelwold, who was also a monk from Nostell and later became the Bishop of Carlisle.

Robert also helped establish two other big Augustinian monasteries: Holyrood Abbey and Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling.

Robert wasn't just promoting the Augustinians. His job was to be the "High Bishop of Scotland," which in the old Scottish language was called "Ardepscop Alban." This meant he was the main leader of the Scottish church. Along with Bishop John of Glasgow, Robert became a key figure in making changes and improvements to the church during the reign of King David I of Scotland. He often witnessed important documents signed by King David.

Unlike many other Scottish bishops at the time, who were often from Scotland, Robert came from outside the Gaelic-speaking world. He was part of a new group of leaders who were helping to shape Scotland in the 12th century. This period saw many changes, and native Scottish clergy were often included in these new church orders. Those who weren't still received support from the bishop. For example, Robert gave a large collection of books to the clergy of the Céli Dé monastery at Loch Leven.

Aiming for Archbishop Status

By 1151, King David wanted the St Andrews bishopric to become even more important. He asked for a special cloth called a pallium for the bishop, which would make St Andrews an "archbishopric." This would mean Robert would be an archbishop, overseeing all the other Scottish bishops, including those in Orkney and the Isles. If this happened, Robert would have been the first Scottish archbishop officially recognized by the Pope in Rome.

This request came when a special messenger from the Pope, John Paparo, arrived in Scotland on his way to Ireland. When the messenger returned to Scotland in 1152, King David made his request. However, it seems the Cardinal never actually presented the idea to the Pope. Robert and King David's hopes were also changed that same year when the Pope created the Archbishopric of Trondheim (in Norway), which then included Orkney and the Isles.

By the late 1150s, Pope Adrian IV described Bishop Robert as being "old and unwell." He might have passed away in 1158, but it's more likely he died the following year, in 1159.