Prior of Coldingham

The Prior of Coldingham was the head of the Benedictine monastic community of Coldingham Priory in Berwickshire. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predecessor King Edgar of Scotland had granted the land of Coldingham to the Church of Durham in 1098, and a church was constructed by him and presented in 1100. The first prior is on record by the year 1147, although an earlier foundation is almost certain. The monastic cell was a dependent of Durham until the 1370s, and in 1378 King Robert II of Scotland expelled the Durham monks; for the following century the cell had two priors, one chosen by Durham and one chosen by the Scots. It became a dependent of Dunfermline Abbey. It was subject to increasingly secular control from the late 15th century into the 16th century. The following is a list of priors and commendators:

List of priors

* Edward, fl. 1124 x 1153 [Known only as "monachus de Coldingham", but the fact he occurs three times in high circles means he was probably head of the monastery.]
* H. [...] , fl. 1147 x 1150
* Sampson, fl. x 1159-1161 x 1162
* Alan, fl. 1165 x 1173
* Herbert, 1172x1174-1175
* Bertram, 1188-1189 [Became Prior of Durham.]
* Simon, 1189 x 1203
* Radulf, x 1203-x 1307
* Ernald, x 1207-1208 x 1211
* Thomas, 1212-1221 x
* Radulf, 1218 x 1234
* Thomas de Melsonby, 1229-1234 [Became Prior of Durham.]
* Anketin, 1239-1242
* Bertram de Mediltone, 1242 x 1244 [Became Prior of Durham.]
* Richard, x 1245-1247 or 1248
* Henry de Sylton, 1248-1260
* German, 1260
* Roger de Wolviston, 1263-1274 x 1276
* Henry de Horncastre, 1276-1296
* William de Midilton, 1304
* William de Gretham, 1304-1305
* Adam de Pontefract, 1309-1311
* William de Gretham, 1311-1321
* Richard de Whitworth, 1322-1325
* Adam de Pontefract, 1325-1332
* Robert de Graystanes, 1333
* Alexander de Lamsley, 1334
* William de Scaccario, 1336 x 1337
* Alexander de Lamsley, 1338-1339
* John Fossour, 1340-1341
* Walter de Skaresbrekis, 1341-1354
* William de Bamburgh, 1355-1362
* Robert Berrington de Walworth, 1363-1374
* Robert de Claxton, 1374 x 1379

List of priors with allegiance to Durham

* Robert de Claxton, 1374-1391
* John de Ayclif, 1392-1416
* William Drax, 1418-1441
* John Oil, 1441-1447
* Thomas Nesbitt, 1447-1456
* John Pencher, 1456-1465 x 1467
* Thomas Haughton, 1467
* Thomas Wren, 1470

List of priors with allegiance to Dunfermline

* Adam de Carale, 1374 x 1379
* Michael de Inverkeithing, 1379-1389
* William Reid, 1389-1390
** Simon Marischal, 1389
* John Steele, 1390-1402
* Alan de Lyn, 1402
* Richard Mongal, 1402-1409
* Andrew Raburn, 1409-1414 x 1418
* Robert Bowmaker, 1419
* William Brown, 1419-1430
* Stephen Bryg, 1432
* William Boyce, 1442-1445

List of prior-commendators

* Patrick Home, 1461-1478 [Also Archdeacon of Teviotdale.]
* John Home, 1464-1503
* Ninian Home, 1501-1508
* John Home, 1509
* Alexander Stewart, 1510-1513 [Also Archbishop of St Andrews (1504-1513).]
* David Home, 1513-1517
** Thomas Nudre, 1514
* Robert Blackadder, 1518-1519
* William Douglas, 1519 -1526 [Becomes Abbot of Holyrood.]
** George Patricii, 1520
** Patrick Blackadder of Tulliallan, 1521 -1525 [Administered the cell as Archdeacon of Glasgow.]
** Andrew Home, 1522
** John Forman, 1523
* Adam Blackadder, 1523-1541
* John Stewart, 1541-1563 [Illegitimate son of James V, King of Scots.]
* Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell, 1565-1567 [Was two years old.]
* John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, 1567-1571
* Alexander Home I [senior] , 1570
* Alexander Home II [junior] , 1571-1587
* Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell (again), 1584-1590
* John Stewart, 1589-1592
* Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home, 1592-1606

Notes

References

* 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. 55-6
* 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. 29-42

ee also

* Coldingham Priory
* Prior of Durham