Prior of St Andrews

The Prior of St Andrews was the head of the property and community of Augustinian canons of St Andrews Cathedral Priory, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was established by King David I in 1140 with canons from Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire. It is possible that, initially at least, the prior of St Andrews was subordinate to the bishop as abbot, but by the 13th century the canons of St Andrews were given freedom by the bishop to elect their prior. By the end of the 13th century, the abbacy of the native canons (i.e. the Céli Dé, or Culdees) was no longer there to challenge the position of the priory, and the native canons themselves had been formed into a collegiate church.

The position of prior became secularized and the priory itself carved up into lordships in the 16th century, although the core and title remained into the 17th century. The following is a list of known priors and commendators:

List of priors Robert I, 1140x1144-1160 Walter I, 1160-1195 Gilbert I, 1198 Walter I (again), 1198x1199 Thomas I, 1199-1211 Simon,Subsequently Prior of Loch Leven. 1212-1225 Henry de Norham, x 1228-1236 John White, 1236-1258 Gilbert, 1258-1264 John de Haddington, 1264-1304 Adam Mauchan, 1304-1313 John de Forfar, 1313-1321 John de Cowrie, 1321-1340 William de Lothian, 1340-1354 Thomas Biset, 1354-1363 Stephen de Pa, 1363-1386Became Bishop of St Andrews, but died Alnwick in England en route for papal confirmation. Robert de Montrose,Previously Prior of Loch Leven. 1386x1387-1394 James Biset, 1394-1416 William de Camera, 1416-1417 John Bullock, (claimed) 1417-1418Became Bishop of Ross. James de Haldeston, 1417-1443 John Litstar (unfruitful provision), 1417-1418 William Bonar, 1443-1462 David Ramsay, 1466-1469 Walter Monypenny, 1467-1468 William Cameron, 1469-1482 Walter Monypenny, 1469 John Wallace, 1469-1471 Thomas Ruch, 1475 Walter Monypenny, 1483-1486 John Hepburn, 1483-1526 Patrick Hepburn, 1524-1538Became Bishop of Moray and Commendator of Scone in late 1538.

List of commendators James Stewart, 1538-1570Son of King James V; became prior aged 6; and became Earl of Moray in 1562, retaining his position as Commendator of St Andrews Priory. Robert Stewart, 1570-1586Bishop of Caithness from 1541; Earl of Lennox from 1578, exchanging Lennox for the earldom of March in 1580. Ludovic, Duke of Lennox, 1586-1624

See also Bishop of St Andrews

Notes

Bibliography Barrow, G.W.S., "The Clergy at St Andrews", in G.W.S. Barrow (ed.), The Kingdom of the Scots, (Edinburgh, 2003), pp. 189–202 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), p. 96 Duncan, A.A.M., "The Foundation of St Andrews Cathedral Priory, 1140", in The Scottish Historical Review, vol 84, (April, 2005), pp. 1–37 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. 187–92