The Abbot of Scone, before 1163 x 4, Prior of Scone, and then by the beginning of the 16th century, the Commendator of Scone, was the head of the community of Augustinian canons of Scone Abbey and their lands. The priory was established by King Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim (Alexander I) sometime between 1114 and 1120, and was elevated to the status of an abbey in 1163 or 1164. The abbey was turned into a secular lordship for William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie in 1581, but was forfeited when the earl was executed in 1584, given to William Foularton in the same year, but restored to the earl's son, James Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie. An independent secular lordship was established for David Murray in 1608.
List of priors of Scone Robert (I), 1114 x 1120-1127 Nicholas, 1127-1140 Dionysius, 1140 - 1142 x 1147 Thomas, 1150-1154 Isaac, 1154-1162 Robert (II), 1162
List of abbots of Scone Robert (II),Previously prior of Restenneth; became prior of Scone in 1162, and continued as abbot after promotion of the priory to an abbey. 1163x1164-1186 Robert (III), 1186-1198 Reimbald, 1198-1206 William, 1206 x 1209-1225 Robert (IV), 1227 Philip, 1230-1242 Robert (V), 1240-1270 Nicholas, 1270-1273 xBecame bishop-elect of Caithness in 1273, and although the election was cancelled, he may have resigned his abbacy. His successor William occurs in a document of the period, but the dating is uncertain. William, 1273 x 1284 Hugh, x 1284-1287 Thomas de Balmerino, 1291-1312Imprisoned by the English government; Henry Man became abbot in his place, but he was still claiming the abbacy, and managed to get back in office in 1312. Henry Man, 1303-1320 Simon, 1325-1341 Adam de Crail, 1343-1344 William, 1354-1370 x 1391 Alexander, 1370 x 1391-1412 x 1417 Alexander de Balbirnie, 1412 x 1417-x1418 Adam de Crannach (Aberdeen), 1418-1432 John de Inverkeithing, 1432 William de Skurry, 1435-1439 James Kennedy, 1439-1447Commendator; granted comment along with the bishopric of Dunkeld, which he held until his translation to St Andrews. George Gardiner, 1445-1447 Thomas de Camera,Previously prior of May. 1447-1458 John Crambe, 1465-1491 David Lermonth, 1492-1496 Henry Abercrombie,Previously abbot of Cambuskenneth. 1492 James Abercrombie, 1492-1514
List of commendators Alexander Stewart de Pitcairne, 1518-1537Also commendator of Inchaffray. Patrick Hepburn,Previously prior of St Andrews. 1538-1571 William Lord Ruthven, 1571 John Ruthven, 1580 William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, 1581-1584 William Foularton, 1584 James Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, 1587-1588 John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie, 1592-1600 David Murray (later Lord Scone and Viscount Stormont), 1608
Notes
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. 97–8 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), pp. 198–202
See also Viscount Stormont Stone of Scone