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The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach , in Latin Murthlacum ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen , one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nechtan . It appears that the episcopal seat had previously been at Mortlach (Mòrthlach), but was moved to Aberdeen during the reign of King David I of Scotland . The names of three bishops of Mortlach are known, the latter two of whom, "Donercius" and "Cormauch" (Cormac), by name only. The Bishop of Aberdeen broke communion with the Roman Catholic Church after the Scottish Reformation . Following the Glorious Revolution , the office was abolished in the Church of Scotland , but continued in the Scottish Episcopal Church . A Roman Catholic diocese was recreated in Aberdeen in 1878.
Pre-Reformation bishops
List of known bishops of Mortlach
Bishops of Mortlach
Tenure
Incumbent
Notes
fl. 1012
Beóán of Mortlach
One of the three known bishops of Mortlach. Known for other sources.
c. 1000s (decade)
"Donercius "
One of the three known bishops of Mortlach. Nothing more is known.
c. 1000s (decade)
Cormac of Mortlach
One of the three known bishops of Mortlach. Nothing more is known.
fl. 1131/2
Nechtan of Aberdeen
Transferred the see to Aberdeen in April 1132
Source(s):[1] [2] [3]
List of known bishops of Aberdeen
The Bishopric of Aberdeen, as the Bishopric of Aberdeen, appears to date from the 1130s, as does the list of known bishops.
Pre-Reformation Bishops of Aberdeen
From
Until
Incumbent
Notes
fl. 1131/2
Nechtan of Aberdeen
Transferred the see from Mortlach in April 1132.
fl. 1147/51-1171
Edward of Aberdeen
1172
1199
Matthew
1199
1207
John of Kelso
1207
1228
Adam de Kald
1228
1229
Matthew the Scot (bishop-elect)
Matthew or Mata had been the chancellor of William the Lion , King of Scots. He was postulated to the see of Aberdeen, before in turn being postulated to the higher ranking see of Dunkeld . At any rate, he died before consecration. His name indicates that he was a Gael , but we do not know anything else about his background.
1228
1239
Gilbert de Stirling
1239
1247
Radulf de Lamley
1247
1256
Peter de Ramsay
1256
1270/2
Richard de Potton
1272
1281/2
Hugh de Benin
1282
1328
Henry le Chen
1329
Walter Herok (bishop-elect)
He died at Avignon, perhaps before being consecrated.
1329
1343/4
Alexander de Kininmund (I.)
1344
1350
William de Deyn
1350
1354/5
John de Rait
1355
1380
Alexander de Kininmund (II.)
1380
Simon de Ketenis (bishop-elect)
Elected by chapter sometime after 31 August, but was provided instead as Dean of Aberdeen on 18 November 1380.
1380
1389
Adam de Tyninghame
1389
1421
Gilbert de Greenlaw
1422
1440
Henry de Lichton
Translated from Moray .
1441
1458
Ingram Lindsay
1458
1480
Thomas Spens
Translated from Galloway .
1480
1483
Robert Blackadder (bishop-elect)
Translated to Galloway.
1483
1514
William Elphinstone
Translated from Ross ; he is one of the greatest of all medieval Scottish bishops, and is remembered today for, among other things, founding the University of Aberdeen .
1514/5
1518
Alexander Gordon
bef. 1515
1516
Robert Forman
Provided by Pope, but resigned without ever possessing.
1518
1532
Gavin Dunbar
1529
1531
George Learmond (coadjutor bishop only)
Learmond had been appointed Dunbar's successor in 1529, but he died before Dunbar did.
1532
1545
William Stewart
1545
1577
William Gordon
Because of the Scottish Reformation of 1560, he was the last bishop owing allegiance to Rome.
Source(s):[1] [4] [5]
Post-Reformation bishops
Church of Scotland succession
Scottish Episcopal Church succession
Restored Roman Catholic succession
Template:Christian Hierarchy Notes
The modern Bishop of Aberdeen is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh . The diocese covers 29,068 km². The see is in the City of Aberdeen where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption . The Vicariate Apostolic of the Northern District (formerly the Vicariate Apostolic of the Highland District) was elevated to diocese status on 4 March 1878. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Hugh Gilbert , 11th Bishop of Aberdeen.
Vicars Apostolic of the Highland District
From
Until
Incumbent
Notes
16 September 1727
19 September 1727
Father Alexander John Grant
Died in office.
12 February 1731
12 March 1773
Bishop Hugh MacDonald
Priest; died in office.
12 March 1773
9 May 1779
Bishop John MacDonald
Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; died in office.
30 September 1779
9 September 1791
Bishop Alexander MacDonald
Priest; died in office.
8 November 1791
8 July 1814
Bishop John Chisholm
Priest; died in office.
8 July 1814
31 July 1818
Bishop Aeneas Chisholm
Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; died in office.
27 August 1819
13 February 1827
Bishop Ranald MacDonald
Became Vicar Apostolic of the Western District.
Vicars Apostolic of the Northern District
From
Until
Incumbent
Notes
13 February 1827
23 February 1869
Bishop James Kyle
Priest; died in office
23 February 1869
15 March 1878
Bishop John MacDonald
Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; became Bishop of Aberdeen .
Roman Catholic Bishops of Aberdeen
From
Until
Incumbent
Notes
15 March 1878
4 February 1889
John MacDonald
Previously Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District ; died in office.
16 July 1889
26 September 1889
Colin Grant
Priest; ordained 13 August 1889; died in office.
14 August 1890
29 May 1898
Hugh MacDonald CSSR
Priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ; ordained 23 October 1890; died in office.
7 January 1899
13 January 1918
Aeneas Chisholm
Priest; ordained 24 February 1899; died in office.
18 June 1918
25 December 1946
George Bennett
Priest; ordained 1 August 1918; died in office.
2 August 1947
5 July 1950
John Matheson
Priest; ordained 24 September 1947; died in office.
20 June 1951
22 July 1963
Francis Walsh MAfr
Priest of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) ; ordained 12 September 1951; resigned.
8 December 1964
28 May 1976
Michael Foylan
Priest; ordained 25 March 1965; died in office.
28 February 1977
15 January 2002
Mario Conti
Priest of Aberdeen; ordained 3 May 1977; translated to Glasgow .
13 October 2003
4 June 2011
Peter Moran
Priest of Aberdeen; ordained 1 December 2003; resigned 4 June 2011.
4 June 2011
present
Hugh Gilbert OSB
Abbot of Pluscarden (1992-2011); appointed 4 June 2011; ordained 15 August 2011.
Source(s):[9]
See also
References
^ a b c d "Historical successions: Aberdeen" . Crockford's Clerical Directory . Retrieved 14 June 2013 .
^ Dowden 1912 , The Bishops of Scotland , pp. 97–98.
^ Fryde et al. 1986 , Handbook of British Chronology , p. 317.
^ Fryde et al. 1986 , Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 301–302.
^ Dowden 1912 , The Bishops of Scotland , pp. 98–143.
^ Fryde et al. 1986 , Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 302–303.
^ Scott 1928 , Fasti Ecclesae Scoticanae, volume 7 , pp. 392–402.
^ Scott 1928 , Fasti Ecclesae Scoticanae, volume 7 , pp. 402–411.
^ "Diocese of Aberdeen" . Catholic-Hierarchy.org . David M. Cheney. Retrieved 14 June 2013 .
Bibliography
Dowden, John (1912). Thomson, J. Maitland (ed.). The Bishops of Scotland . Glasgow: James Maclehose and Son.
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X .
Scott, Hew (1928). Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae . Vol. Volume 7 (New ed.). Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. ;
External links
Template:Roman Catholic Bishops & Archbishops - Scotland