Diocese of Moray

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Diocese of Moray
Diocese of Moray (reign of David I).png
Head Bishop of Moray
Archdeacon(s) Archdeacon of Moray
Known rural deansElgin, Inverness, Strathbogie, Strathspey
First attestation1114 x 1120
Metropolitan before 1472None
Metropolitan after 1492 Archbishop of St Andrews
Cathedral Elgin Cathedral
Previous cathedral(s) Birnie, Kinneddar and Spynie
Dedication Holy Trinity
CanonsSecular
Catholic successorMerged into resurrected Diocese of Aberdeen, 4 March 1878
Episcopal successor Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness

The Diocese of Moray was one of the most important of the medieval dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. Its territory was in central northern Scotland.

Contents

History

It was founded in the early years of the 12th century by David I of Scotland under its first bishop, Gregoir. It was suppressed in 1638 and never revived as a titular see.

Bishops of Moray

Bishop Bricius organised the constitution of the church, but it was Bishop Andreas who increased the number of dignitaries and prebend canons and was responsible for gaining large grants of land from his kinsmen, the powerful de Moravia lords, as well as from the king. In the year of his death, Andreas changed the cathedral's constitution to mirror that of Salisbury. [1]

Other bishops made a lasting impact on the diocese; probably the most important of these was Alexander Bur (1362–1397), who championed the right of the Moray church to retain its property against a ruthless magnate, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, called the "Wolf of Badenoch". [2]

Apparently the see served repeatedly as a stepping stone:

The last of the Roman Catholic bishops was Patrick Hepburn, who alienated almost all of the lands pertaining to the church at the time of the Scottish Reformation.

Other officials

In the Scottish Episcopal Church, Charles Fyvie (of Inverness) was Dean of the United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Argyle in 1846 [3] until the dioceses were reconfigured, then Dean of Moray and Ross until 1849, when he was succeeded by William C. A. Maclaurin (of Elgin). [4]

Extent and deaneries

The deaneries of Moray and parishes Moray diocese.png
The deaneries of Moray and parishes

The diocese covered a large area extending from Huntly in the east, within a few miles of the Knoydart Peninsula in the west and, in the south-west, to the Atlantic Ocean at an inlet of Loch Linnhe in Lochaber.

It was divided into the four deaneries of Elgin, Inverness, Strathbogie and Strathspey. Each of these deaneries contained a number of parishes that provided the mensal and prebendal means for the church.

Elgin

  • Altyre
  • Alves
  • Auldearn
  • Birnie
  • Dallas
  • Dipple
  • Duffus
  • Dundurkas
  • Dyke
  • Elgin
  • Elchies
  • Essil
  • Forres
  • Fothervays—now Edinkillie
  • Kinneddar
  • Lhanbryde
  • Logie Fythenach—now Ardclach
  • Moy
  • Ogstoun
  • Rafford
  • Rothes
  • Spynie
  • Urquhart

Inverness

  • Abertarff
  • Abriachan
  • Brackley—now Brackla
  • Convinth
  • Croy
  • Dalarossie
  • Dalcross
  • Daviot
  • Dores
  • Ewan or Barevan—now Cawdor
  • Ferneway
  • Inverness
  • Kintallirgy—now Kiltarlity
  • Lunnin—now Moy
  • Lundechty—now Dunlichity
  • Petty
  • Urquhart
  • Wardlaw—now Kirkhill

Strathspey

  • Abernethy
  • Advie
  • Alvie
  • Cromdale
  • Duthil
  • Insh
  • Inverallan
  • Inveravon
  • Kincardine
  • Kingussie
  • Logie Kenny—now Laggan
  • Rothiemurcus

Strathbogie

  • Aberchirder—now Marnoch
  • Aberlour
  • Arndilly—now Boharm
  • Botary
  • Botriphnie
  • Drumdelgie
  • Dunbennan
  • Edendiack
  • Essie
  • Grantully—now Gartly
  • Glass
  • Inverkethney
  • Keith
  • Kinnoir
  • Rothiemay
  • Ruthven
  • Rhynie

Cathedrals

The early Moray bishops did not have a fixed seat but took their cathedrals to the culdee centres at Birnie, Kinneddar and lastly Spynie.

Spynie Cathedral

Bishop Bricius de Douglas finally obtained permission from Pope Innocent III on 7 April 1206 to fix the cathedral at the Church of the Holy Trinity at Spynie. [6]

Authorisation was also granted to create a chapter of eight canons to administer the cathedral. The chapter based its constitution on that of Lincoln Cathedral. [7] It is possible that this decision may have been influenced by the fact that Bricius' immediate predecessor was Bishop Richard de Lincoln.

Elgin Cathedral

Bricius saw that Spynie was too remote from those it sought to serve; to ensure the safety of the clergy, he petitioned the pope to allow the church to be moved to the relative safety of Elgin. [8] It was not until after his death, however, that this was achieved under the episcopate of Bishop Andreas de Moravia, [9] and with the authority of Pope Honorius III and King Alexander II on 19 July 1224. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elgin, Moray</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Elgin is a town and formerly a royal burgh in Moray, on the North Coast of Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the floodplain where the town of Birnie is. There, the church of Birnie Kirk was built in 1140 and serves the community to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County of Moray</span> Historic county in Scotland

Moray; or Morayshire, called Elginshire until 1919, is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland, bordering Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east. It was a local government county, with Elgin the county town, until 1975. The county was officially called Elginshire, sharing the name of the Elginshire parliamentary constituency, so named since 1708.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan</span> Earl of Buchan

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Elgin Cathedral is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II outside the burgh of Elgin and close to the River Lossie. It replaced the cathedral at Spynie, 3 kilometres (2 mi) to the north, which was served by a small chapter of eight clerics. By 1226, the new and developing cathedral was staffed with 18 canons increasing to 23 by 1242. A damaging fire in 1270 resulted in a significantly enlarged building. It remained unaffected by the Wars of Scottish Independence, but again suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 when attacked by Robert III's brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch. In 1402 the cathedral precinct again suffered an incendiary attack by the followers of the Lord of the Isles.

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spynie Palace</span> Ruined castle in Moray, Scotland, UK

Spynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years in Spynie, Moray, Scotland. The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th century. It is situated about 500 m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, Holy Trinity Church in present-day Spynie Churchyard. For most of its occupied history, the castle was not described as a palace — this term first appeared in the Registry of Moray in a writ of 1524.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bricius de Douglas</span> Scottish bishop

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreas de Moravia</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spynie</span>

Spynie was a seaport, burgh and ancient parish in Moray, Scotland, that survives as a small hamlet and civil parish. It is the location of the ruins of Spynie Palace, which was the principal residence of the Bishops of Moray between the 12th and 17th centuries, and the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Spynie, which served as the cathedral of the Diocese of Moray between 1207 and 1224.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry de Lichton</span> Medieval Scottish prelate and diplomat

Henry de Lichton [de Lychtone, Leighton] was a medieval Scottish prelate and diplomat, who, serving as Bishop of Moray (1414–1422) and Bishop of Aberdeen (1422–1440), became a significant patron of the church, a cathedral builder, and a writer. He also served King James I of Scotland as a diplomat in England, France, and Italy.

William de Spynie was a Scottish prelate. He was a canon of Moray by 1363 and Precentor (Chanter) of Aberdeen in 1371. By 1372 x 1373, he had exchanged the latter position with William Boyl for the Precentorship of Moray. He had become Dean of Aberdeen by 1388. It is possible he had become Dean of Dunkeld in 1397, though this may be a mistake in the source, "Aberdeen" rather than "Dunkeld" being meant. At any rate, in that year he was elected as the Bishop of Moray. He travelled to France and on September 1397 was consecrated as Bishop.

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Alexander Bur was a 14th-century Scottish cleric. It is highly possible that Bur came from somewhere in or around Aberdeenshire, although that is not certain and is only based on the knowledge that Aberdeenshire is where other people bearing his surname come from in this period. He entered the service of King David II of Scotland sometime after 1343, perhaps as a member of David's exiled court at Château Gaillard. Although Alexander by this point in time already held prebends in both the bishopric of Aberdeen and the bishopric of Dunkeld, on that date King David petitioned Pope Clement VI for another canonry in the bishopric of Moray. Alexander had become a royal clerk and had obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law by 1350. By the latter date, upon the death of Adam Penny, Archdeacon of Moray, Alexander himself became Archdeacon.

Adam de Darlington [Derlingtun] was a 13th-century English churchman based in the Kingdom of Scotland. Adam's name occurred for the first time in a Moray document datable between 1255 and 1271, where he was named as the Precentor of Fortrose Cathedral. He seems to have been introduced into the diocese of Ross, along with others from the north-east of England, by Bishop Robert de Fyvie, who may have been descended from the area.

Alexander de Kylwos – written alternatively as Frylquhous, Kylquos, and a variety of other forms – was a Scottish churchman and prelate active in the second half of the 14th century. He is known to have held senior positions in three bishoprics, and senior offices in two, before being elected and appointed Bishop of Ross in 1371. Though his episcopate is relatively obscure, he seems to have spent almost all of it inside or around his province, was closely associated with William III and Euphemia I, successive rulers of Ross, and was an associate of the famous Alexander Bur, Bishop of Moray, during the latter's struggle with Alexander Stewart, the son of the King later known by the nickname "Wolf of Badenoch".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birnie Kirk</span> Church in Moray, Scotland

Birnie Kirk is a 12th century parish church located near Elgin, in Moray, Scotland. It was the first cathedral of the Bishop of Moray and is one of the oldest in Scotland to have been in continuous use. The graveyard, symbol stone and archaeological remains under the church have been designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinneddar</span> Castle in Scotland, United Kingdom

Kinneddar is a small settlement on the outskirts of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, near the main entrance to RAF Lossiemouth. Long predating the modern town of Lossiemouth, Kinneddar was a major monastic centre for the Pictish kingdom of Fortriu from the 6th or 7th centuries, and the source of the important collection of Pictish stones called the Drainie Carved Stones. The Kirk of Kinneddar was the cathedral of the Diocese of Moray between 1187 and 1208, and remained an important centre of diocesan administration and residence of the Bishop of Moray through the 13th and 14th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortrose Cathedral</span> Church in Scotland

Fortrose Cathedral was the episcopal seat (cathedra) of the medieval Scottish diocese of Ross in the Highland region of Scotland. It is probable that the original site of the diocese was at Rosemarkie, but by the 13th century the canons had relocated a short distance to the south-west, to the site known as Fortrose or Chanonry. According to Gervase of Canterbury, in the early 13th century the cathedral of Ross was manned by Céli Dé (culdees).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Church, Spynie</span> Former cathedral in Spynie, Moray, north-east Scotland.

Holy Trinity Church, Spynie was until 1735 the parish church of Spynie, Moray in north-east Scotland, and served as the cathedral of the Diocese of Moray between 1207 and 1224.

References

  1. Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis no. 81
  2. Discussion on the quarrel, see: (1) Grant, Alexander: The Wolf of Badenoch in Moray: Province and People; ed. Seller, W. D. H. Edinburgh, pp. 143—161; (2) Oram, Richard D. "Alexander Bur, Bishop of Moray, 1362–1397" in Barbara Crawford (ed.) Church Chronicle and Learning in Medieval and Early Renaissance Scotland, Edinburgh, 1999, pp. 202—204
  3. The Clergy List, 1846 p. 263
  4. The Clergy List, 1849 p. 282
  5. McNeil, MacQueen, Atlas of Scottish History, p. 355
  6. Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis no. 46
  7. Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, nos. 48, 49 and 93
  8. Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis no. 45
  9. Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis nos. 26, 57 and 58
  10. Cant, Robert: Historic Elgin and its Cathedral, Elgin: Elgin Society, 1974, p. 23

Sources and references

57°21′36″N3°46′59″W / 57.360°N 3.783°W / 57.360; -3.783