The Abbot of Kilwinning (later Commendator of Kilwinning) was the head of the Tironensian monastic community and lands of Kilwinning Abbey, Cunningham (now in North Ayrshire), founded between 1162 and 1167. The patron is not known for certain, but it is likely to have been Richard de Morville, Lord of Cunningham. The following are a list of abbots and commendators.
List of abbots Rainer, 1186x1189 Nigel (?Niall), 1201-1210 John, 1221x1230 Bernard, 1296Became abbot of Arbroath. Roger, 1296x1305 Adam, 1312-1327 William de Deyn, 1327 x 1329-1344Became bishop of Aberdeen. John de Dalgarnoc, 1344-1346Probably became prior of Lesmahagow. Robert, 1360-1367 John, 1384 Bryce MacMakyn, 1407 Adam, 1407 - 1439 William Boyd, 1443-1474 William Bunche, 1474 -1513Died at the battle of Flodden. John Forman, 1512 -1514
List of commendators James Beaton, 1513-1524Held the commend while archbishop of Glasgow. John Cantlie, 1521 John Hamilton, 1524 George Betoun, 1526-1527 Alexander Hamilton, 1527-1547 Henry Sinclair, 1541-1550Became bishop of Ross. Gavin Hamilton, 1550-1571Became Archbishop of St Andrews. Alexander Cunningham, 1571-1585 James Cunningham, 1585 William Melville, 1591-1592
See also Kilwinning Abbey
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), p. 69 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. 127–30