Abbot of Dunfermline

The Prior, then Abbot and then Commendator of Dunfermline was the head of the Benedictine monastic community of Dunfermline Abbey, Fife, Scotland. The abbey itself was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland, but was of earlier origin. King Máel Coluim mac Donnchada ("Malcolm III") had founded a church there with the help of Benedictines from Canterbury. Monks had been sent there in the reign of Étgar mac Maíl Choluim (Edgar, 1097–1107) and Anselm had sent a letter requesting that Étgar's brother and successor King Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim (Alexander I, 1107–1124) protect these monks. By 1120, when Alaxandair sent a delegation to Canterbury to secure Eadmer for the bishopric of St Andrews, there is a Prior of the Dunfermline monks by the name of Peter leading the delegation. Control of the abbey was secularized in the 16th century and after the accession of James Stewart in 1500, the abbey was held by commendators. In the second half of the 16th century, the abbey's lands were being carved up into lordships and it was finally annexed to the crown in July, 1593.

List of Priors

Peter, 1120
Richard Mongal, 1133-1148

List of Abbots

Geoffrey I, 1148–1154
Geoffrey II, 1154–1178
Archibald, 1178–1198
Robert de Berwick, 1198–1202
Patrick, 1202–1217x1223
William I, 1223
William II, 1223 x 1226–1238
Geoffrey III, 1238–1240
Robert de Keldeleth, 1240–1252^[1]
John, 1252–1256
Matthew, 1256
Simon, 1267–1275
Radulf de Greenlaw, 1275–1296
Hugh, 1304x1306-1313
Robert de Crail, 1314–1328
Alexander Ber, c. 1328-9-1350 x 1351
John Black, 1351
John de Stramiglot, 1351–1383x1388
William de Angus, 1383
John de Torry, 1388–1409
William de St Andrews (Anderston),^[2] 1413–1426
Robert de Scotland, 1418–1419
William Brown, 1427
Andrew de Kirkcaldy, 1427–1444
Richard de Bothwell,^[3] 1444–1468
Alexander Thomson, c. 1470
Henry Crichton,^[4] 1471–1482
Adam Cant, 1483–1490
George Crichton, 1490–1500^[5]
- Opposed by Raphael Riario, 1491–1492
- Opposed by Robert Swinton, 1492
- Opposed by Thomas Cranston,^[6] 1492
- Opposed by Andrew Pictoris,^[7] 1492

List of Commendators

James Stewart,^[8] 1500–1504
Gilbert Strachan, 1504
James Beaton, 1504–1509^[9]
Alexander Stewart,^[10] 1509–1513
James Hepburn, 1513–1516^[11]
Peter de Accoltis, 1514
Andrew Forman, 1514–1521^[12]
James Beaton (again), 1522–1539^[13]
George Durie, 1526/39–1572
Robert Pitcairn, 1553/72–1584^[14]
Henry Pitcairn, 1582/4–1593
- Patrick, Master of Gray, 1585–1587
- George, Earl of Huntly, 1587

Notes

^ Resigned to become a Cistercian, and moved to Newbattle Abbey; later became Abbot of Melrose (1269–73).
^ Had previously been Prior of Urquhart.
^ Had been Abbot of Paisley (1444–1445).
^ Had been Abbot of Paisley (1459–1471).
^ After the death of Adam Cant, many figures emerged as potential abbots. It took Crichton until 1496 to get recognition from the pope for his office.
^ Was Abbot of Jedburgh 1484–1501
^ Bishop of Orkney.
^ Son of King James III of Scotland.
^ Became Bishop of Galloway-elect in March 1508, but retained the abbacy until fully provided as Archbishop of Glasgow in January 1509.
^ Became Commendator while Archbishop of St Andrews (1504–1513).
^ Resigned when provided as Bishop of Moray in 1516.
^ Held the post concurrently with the archbishopric of St Andrews (i.e. 1514–1521).
^ Retook abbacy after being provided from the archbishopric of Glasgow to St Andrews as the successor of Andrew Forman.
^ Set the surviving motto on front of Abbot House, Dunfermline

Bibliography

Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 58–59
Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries (The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24), (Edinburgh, 2001), p. 67–73

[1] Resigned to become a Cistercian, and moved to Newbattle Abbey; later became Abbot of Melrose (1269–73).

[2] Had previously been Prior of Urquhart.

[3] Had been Abbot of Paisley (1444–1445).

[4] Had been Abbot of Paisley (1459–1471).

[5] After the death of Adam Cant, many figures emerged as potential abbots. It took Crichton until 1496 to get recognition from the pope for his office.

[6] Was Abbot of Jedburgh 1484–1501

[7] Bishop of Orkney.

[8] Son of King James III of Scotland.

[9] Became Bishop of Galloway-elect in March 1508, but retained the abbacy until fully provided as Archbishop of Glasgow in January 1509.

[10] Became Commendator while Archbishop of St Andrews (1504–1513).

[11] Resigned when provided as Bishop of Moray in 1516.

[12] Held the post concurrently with the archbishopric of St Andrews (i.e. 1514–1521).

[13] Retook abbacy after being provided from the archbishopric of Glasgow to St Andrews as the successor of Andrew Forman.

[14] Set the surviving motto on front of Abbot House, Dunfermline

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v t e Senior churchmen of Medieval Scotland (post-1100)
Archbishops	Glasgow (1492) St Andrews (1472)
Bishops	Aberdeen Argyll Brechin Caithness Dunblane Dunkeld Galloway Glasgow Isles (Sodor) Moray Orkney Ross St Andrews
Archdeacons	Aberdeen Argyll Brechin Caithness Dunblane Dunkeld Galloway Glasgow Isles (Sodor) Lothian Moray Orkney Ross St Andrews Shetland Teviotdale
Abbots	Arbroath Balmerino Cambuskenneth Coupar Angus Crossraguel Culross Deer Dercongal (Holywood) Dryburgh Dundrennan Dunfermline Fearn Glenluce Holyrood Inchaffray Inchcolm Iona Jedburgh Kelso (Selkirk) Kilwinning Kinloss Lindores Melrose Newbattle Paisley Saddell Scone Soulseat Sweetheart Tongland
Priors	Ardchattan Beauly Blantyre Canonbie Coldingham Fogo Fyvie Inchmahome Lesmahagow May (Pittenweem) Monymusk Oronsay Perth Pluscarden Restenneth St Andrews St Mary's Isle St Serf's Inch, Loch Leven Strathfillan Urquhart Whithorn