Henry Cockburn (bishop)

infobox bishopbiog
name = Henry Cockburn


religion= Roman Catholic Church
See = Diocese of Ross
Title = Bishop of Ross
Period = 1461–1476
consecration =
Predecessor = Thomas de Tulloch
Successor = John Woodman
post = | ordination =
bishops =
date of birth = unknown
place of birth = unknown
date of death = July 22, 1476 – August 20, 1476
place of death =

Henry Cockburn (died 1476) was a 15th century Scottish prelate. Between 1461 and 1476, he was the Bishop of Ross.

On March 23, 1461, he received papal provision to the bishopric of Ross vacant by, presumably, the death of Thomas de Tulloch. [Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", pp. 268-9; Dowden, "Bishops", p. 219, gives March 14.] He was consecrated sometime between October 19, 1463, when his name occurred in a Dunfermline Abbey document as bishop "elect and confirmed", and August 16, 1464, when he witnessed a royal charter as consecrated bishop. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 219; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 269; documents in question are "Dunf. Reg.", no. 366, and "RMS", vol. ii, no. 804.]

He was at Arbroath Abbey when Richard Guthrie was elected Abbot of Arbroath on November 3, 1470. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 219.] Bishop Cockburn was sent as part of an embassy to the Kingdom of England in 1473. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 219; Keith, "Historical Catalogue", p. 189.] He was in attendance at the Edinburgh parliament of July 15, 1476, and witnessed a royal charter on July 22. [Dowden, "Bishops", pp. 219-20; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 269.]

The episcopal see of Ross was vacant by August 20, suggesting that Bishop Cockburn had died at some stage between July 22 or August 20, and although resignation or demotion is a possibility, there is no evidence pointing to such a highly unusual and notable occurrence. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 220; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 269.]

Henry Cockburn, as a cleric and prelate, was forbidden from marriage, but he is known to have had at least one son, John Cockburn; John was legitimised on September 20, 1507. [Dowden, Mr. bongonogertogeryughtryefsdes was born"Bishops", p. 220.]

Notes

References

* 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, 1824)
* Watt, D. E. R., "Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638", 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)