- Alexander Lauder
Alexander de Lawedre (d.
October 11 ,1440 ,Edinburgh ) was for the last five months of his lifeBishop of Dunkeld , where he had previously been Archdeacon.There is confusion amongst writers as to his parentage, with some giving him as a son of Alan de Lawedre of Haltoun, and Keith, in his revision of Spottiswoode, giving him as brother-German to
William de Lawedre . However the "Scotichronicon" (Edinburgh 1759) andJohn Dowden correctly state he is "frater uterinus" to William Lauder, Bishop of Glasgow. Alexander Lauder was a natural son of SirRobert de Lawedre of Edrington (d.1425) by an unknown mistress, and would have been born in the 14th century.In a supplication recorded at
Rome onDecember 2 1420 it states: 'Nova proviso' (new provision) by (formerly, before his deposition),Peter de Luna (Avignon Pope Benedict XIII ) who gave His mandate of provision of the parish church ofRatho ,Diocese of St. Andrews , to Alexander de Lawedre, subdeacon of the said diocese, brother of the Bishop of Glasgow, Licentiate in Decrees ofParis andArchdeacon ofDunkeld , who obtained peaceable possession of same.Alexander had at least four Safe-conducts issued to him to travel abroad. Joseph Bain mentions him in several issued by Henry VI and found also in "Rotuli Scotiae" on May 13 and November 19 and 30, 1423, which include "Alexander de Lawedre, archidiaconus Dunkelden in Scotia". With "Magr. Edwardus de Laweder, archidiaconus de Lothian" he is again mentioned on
March 4 1424 -5.In May 1440 he was nominated at the request of King
James II of Scotland asBishop of Dunkeld . OnJune 6 1440 , a Papal provision to that post was made for him, in which he was described as "a venerable man who was notable in every kind of upright behaviour".He died unexpectedly, and before his formal consecration, at Edinburgh on
October 11 1440 , and was buried within the parish church ofLauder .References
* "Rotuli Scotiae in Turri Londinensi et in Domo Capitulari Westmonasteriensi asservati", London, 1814-19, 2 volumes.
* "Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome", edited by Lindsay & Cameron, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1934, pps: 235-6.
* "Scotichronicon", byWalter Bower , and edited by D.E.R.Watt, volume 8, Book XVI, p.299, Aberdeen University Press, 1987.
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