Henry of Holyrood

infobox bishopbiog
name = Henry of Holyrood


religion=Roman Catholic Church
See = Diocese of Galloway
Title = Bishop of Galloway
Period = 1253–1293
consecration = 1255 or 1256
Predecessor = Gilbert
Successor = Thomas de Dalton
post = Abbot of Holyrood | ordination =
bishops =
date of birth = unknown
place of birth = unknown
date of death = November 1, 1293
place of death =

Henry (died 1293) was a 13th century Augustinian abbot and bishop, most notable for holding the positions of Abbot of Holyrood and Bishop of Galloway.

It is not known when Henry became an Augustinian nor when he became Abbot of Holyrood Abbey. His latest known predecessor, Elias son of Nicholas, occurs as abbot on May 29, 1236 [See Watt, "Heads of Religious Houses", p. 93.] , and no abbot of Holyrood is known from then until 1253 when the "Chronicle of Melrose" informs us that "Sir Gilbert, the bishop of Whithorn, died; and after him, sir Henry, the abbot of Holyrood, was elected". [Anderson, "Early Sources", vol. i, pp. 574-5; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 129; Watt, "Heads of Religious Houses", p. 93]

This date is not however certain, as Henry's name occurs merely as Abbot, not even "bishop-elect", in a Dunfermline Abbey document dated to October, 1254.Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 129.] He was elected with the support of the Comyn faction who at that time dominated the minority of the young King Alexander III of Scotland, an election that John I de Balliol initially opposed, with Balliol citing the "ancient liberty of his subjects", i.e. the rights of the Lord of Galloway and the Galwegians. [Anderson, "Early Sources", vol. i, p. 575, n. 1O; Oram, "Lordship of Galloway", p. 184; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 129.] This objection is at first sight confusing, since John de Balliol himself was a Comyn ally and part of the Comyn regime. Richard Oram argues that Balliol's objection was more concerned with his own rights of patronage, but at any rate Balliol's objections came to nothing. [Oram, "Lordship of Galloway", p. 184.]

There was an examination of the election at York on February 11, 1255, and the election was apparently confirmed by the Archbishop of York on February 24; there was however a delay in consecration of the bishop, as the report of his consecration in the "Melrose Chronicle" follows that of Gamelin as Bishop of St Andrews, which took place on December 25, 1255. [Anderson, "Early Sources", vol. i, p. 584; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 129.] The sources give contradictory accounts of the consecration, with the "Melrose Chronicle" stating that it was conducted by Walter de Gray (d. May 1, 1255), whereas the "Lanercost Chronicle" reported that the consecration, conducted by Walter of Kirkham, the Bishop of Durham, took place on February 7, 1255, at St Agatha's near Richmond. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 358; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 129.] D. E. R. Watt thinks that the consecration may in fact have taken place in early 1256.

He was a witness to the foundation charter of Sweetheart Abbey, dated April, 1273. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 358, give April 2, 1273; Cowan & Easson, "Medieval Religious Houses", p. 78, gives April 10.] The Archbishop of York , in 1287, authorised that Bishop Henry, because of his old age, be excused from the annual visit to York usually paid by bishops of Galloway.Dowden, "Bishops", p. 358.] The bishop was nevertheless able to visit Ireland, where on August 4, 1291, he is record as being located.Dowden, "Bishops", p. 359.] He was at Birgham on March 17, 1290, for the negotiation of the Treaty of Birgham. He was one of the men chosen by John de Balliol the younger, afterwards King John of Scotland, to represent him at the Great Cause in 1292. He died on November 1, 1293. He had been described by the "Lanercost Chronicle" as "a man discreet, holy, and provident for his house and his parish". [Anderson, "Early Sources", vol. i, p. 575, n. 1.]

An excavation of Whithorn Priory during 1957-67 uncovered the remains of various senior ecclestiastical figures whose identities were not known at the time. Research funded by Historic Scotland in 2007 led to the identification of six bishops from the bones and artefacts in the graves, Henry amongst them. The techniques employed allowed the researchers to conclude that all the clerics enjoyed a diet of quality meat and fish and probably came from southern Scotland or Cumbria. [McGinty, Stephen "Bishops' lives unmasked as science peels back 600 years". "The Scotsman". (Edinburgh, 17 December 2007)] Henry's grave also contained "very fine gilded altar vessels, a gold pontifical ring, and the remains of a wooden crozier". [ [http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/news-full-article.htm?articleid=27805 "Whithorn Priory marks a century of care"] Historic Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2007.] The analysis enable researchers to conclude that Henry had taken a role in rebuilding parts of the priory after it was damaged by soldiers in 1286 and that he had been suffering from tooth abscesses. [ [http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/news-full-article.htm?articleid=27796 "Bones identify six medieval bishops"] Historic Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2007.]

Notes

References

* Anderson, Alan Orr, "Early Sources of Scottish History", 2 vols, (Edinburgh, 1922)
* 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)
* Dowden, John, "The Bishops of Scotland", ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
* Keith, Robert, "An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688", (London, 1924)
* Watt, D. E. R., "Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638", 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)
* 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)