Bishop of Moray

View of Elgin Cathedral from the south-east, 2010

The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. If the foundation charter of the monastery at Scone is reliable, then the Bishopric of Moray was in existence as early as the reign of King Alexander I of Scotland (1107–1124), but was certainly in existence by 1127, when one Gregoir ("Gregorius") is mentioned as "Bishop of Moray" in a charter of king David I of Scotland. The bishopric had its seat (Latin: Cathedra) at Elgin and Elgin Cathedral, but was severally at Birnie, Kinneddar and as late as Bishop Andreas de Moravia at Spynie, where the bishops continued to maintain a palace. The Bishopric's links with Rome ceased to exist after the Scottish Reformation, but continued, saving temporary abolition between 1638 and 1661, under the episcopal Church of Scotland until the Revolution of 1688. Episcopacy in the established church in Scotland was permanently abolished in 1689. The Bishops fortified seat for over 500 years was at Spynie Palace.

## List of known bishops of Moray

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Tenure  | Incumbent  | Notes

|
|

fl. x 1114–1127 x 1131 | Gregoir of Moray |
fl. 1152 x 1153–1162 | William |
fl. 1166 x 1171 | Felix of Moray |
1171–1184 | Simon de Tosny |
1184–1185 | Andrew |
1187–1203 | Richard de Lincoln |
1203–1222 | Bricius de Douglas | He was Prior of Lesmahagow before ascending the bishopric of Moray. In this period, the name Bricius is more often a Latinization of the Gaelic names Máel Brigte and Gilla Brigte than a real name; but it is still possible that Bricius was indeed the bishop's real name. He is sometimes called "Bricius of Douglas".
1222–1242 | Andreas de Moravia |
1244–1251 | Simon de Gunby | Dean of the cathedral from 1232 until his election as bishop. He was buried in the choir of the cathedral.
el. 1252 | Radulf of Lincoln | Radulf was a canon of the Bishopric of Lincoln; all that is known about him was that he was elected. How Archibald came to consecrated in 1253 instead of Ralph is not known.
1253–1298 | Archibald | He rebuilt the palace of Kinneddor and made it his main residence. He died in December 1298.
1299–1326 | David de Moravia | Consecrated at Anagni in Italy on the vigil of the holy apostles Peter and Paul in 1299. He founded the Scots College in Paris by donating the land on which it was built. The foundation confirmed by Charles le Bel, King of France in August 1326.
1326–1362 | John de Pilmuir | The son of a Dundee burgess, he was consecrated by Pope John XXII. He continued what his predecessor began with the Scots College of the University of Paris. Its administration was to remain the responsibility of the Bishops of Moray until the Reformation.
1362–1397 | Alexander Bur | Consecrated by Pope Urban V at Avignon in December 1396. Bur suffered at the hands of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan when Stewart burned the cathedral along with the city's two monasteries, the church of St Giles and the hospital Domus Dei.
1397–1406 | William de Spynie | Before his consecration by the anti-pope Benedict XIII in 1397, he was the Chantor of Moray. He died on 2 August 1406.
1407–1414 | John de Innes |
1414–1422 | Henry de Lichton |
1422–1435 | Columba de Dunbar |
1436–1460 | John de Winchester |
1460–1462 | James Stewart |
1462–1476 | David Stewart |
1477–1482 | William Tulloch |
1482–1501 | Andrew Stewart |
1501–1514 x 1516 | Andrew Forman |
1516–1524 | James Hepburn |
1525–1527 | Robert Shaw |
nom. 1528 | Alexander Douglas (elder) | Had crown nomination, but failed to obtain consecration because of political circumstances.
1529–1537 | Alexander Stewart |
1538–1573 | Patrick Hepburn |
1573–1589 | George Douglas | Temporalities annexed to the crown after 1587, which were largely granted to Alexander Lindsay, 1st Lord Spynie in 1590, until surrendered back to crown in an arrangement with Bishop Alexander Douglas.
1602–1623 | Alexander Douglas (younger) |
1623–1638 | John Guthrie | Episcopy abolished on 13 December 1638.
1662–1677 | Murdoch MacKenzie | Epicopy restored in 1661. Became Bishop of Orkney.
1677–1680 | James Aitken | Became Bishop of Galloway.
1680–1686 | Colin Falconer | Previously Bishop of Argyll.
1687 | Alexander Rose | Became Bishop of Edinburgh.
1688 | William Hay | The Revolution of 1688 led to the abolition of Episcopy in Church of Scotland.

## References

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* Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
* Keith, Robert, An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688, (London, 1924)
* Lawrie, Sir Archibald, Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153, (Glasgow, 1905)
* Watt, D.E.R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)

## External links

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* Jackson, Kenneth H. (ed), The Gaelic Notes in the Book of Deer, (Cambridge, 1972)
* Dauvit Broun's list of 12th century Scottish Bishops

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Senior churchmen of Medieval Scotland (post-1100)

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Priors|

* Ardchattan
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