Alexander de Waghorn

infobox bishopbiog
name = Alexander de Waghorn


religion= Roman Catholic Church
See = Diocese of Ross
Title = Bishop of Ross
Period = 1398–1416 × 1418
consecration =
Predecessor = Alexander de Kylwos
Successor = "Thomas Lyell" /"Gruffydd Young"/
John Bullock
post = Archdeacon of Ross (1381 × 1398–1398) | ordination =
bishops =
date of birth = unknown
place of birth = unknown
date of death = March 17, 1416 × February 14, 1418
place of death =

Alexander de Waghorn (d. 1416 × 1418), Bishop of Ross, bears a surname that may suggest an origin in the Glasgow area of southern Scotland, though there are other possibilities. [His name is known only from his seal, where it is written as " [Q] wachan"; see discussion and citations at Watt, "Dictionary", p. 562; the editor of "Beauly Charters", with no citation, gives his name as Alexander de Kilbuines.]

His pre-episcopal life is not very well documented, but when he was provided to the bishopric of Ross in 1398, he already possessed a Bachelorate in Decrees (i.e. canon law) and bore the title Archdeacon of Ross. [McGurk (ed.), "Papal Letters", p. 89; Watt, "Dictionary", p. 562; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", pp. 385-6.] It is not known for how long he had held the latter title, but it could have been as early as August 1376, when the last known archdeacon Alexander Man was made Bishop of Caithness. [Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 285.]

It was on August 17, 1398, that Avignon Pope Benedict XIII provided Waghorn to the vacant diocese of Ross; the papal mandate of provision informs us that Alexander had been elected by the cathedral chapter to the vacant see, but that because the Pope had previously reserved the see for his own appointment, declared the election invalid, but "to prevent a long and harmful vacancy" he nevertheless provided Waghorn as bishop. [McGurk (ed.), "Papal Letters", p. 89.]

There is a papal mandate, dated May 4, 1404, in which three churchmen are told to confirm one clerk named William "de Tayn" ("of Tain") as Chancellor of Ross because William de Tayn "doubted the validity of his presentation and institution by Alexander, bishop of Ross". [McGurk (ed.), "Papal Letters", p. 120.] A similar mandate for confirmation, this time issued to the Bishop of Moray (Henry de Lichton) and dated August 16, 1417, was as a result of similar concerns, this time in relation to one John de Kylwos, regarding Kylwos' exchange of the Ross subdeanery for the treasurership, an exchange authorised by Bishop Alexander. [McGurk (ed.), "Papal Letters", p. 360.]

On June 30, 1407, a papal mandate was issued to the Bishop of Dunkeld and the Bishop of Caithness to receive Alexander's oath of fealty to the papal see, and to ensure that a copy of the oath was sent to the papal court by letters patent under Alexander's seal. [McGurk (ed.), "Papal Letters", p. 164.] This is somewhat of a long period since his provision, and may be explained if some of the secular authorities were opposing his provision.Watt, "Dictionary", p. 562.]

At this time, there was a power struggle over the province of Ross, the notable participants being Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross, and ally to the Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany; Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles, a magnate based on the western coast who was pressing his own claim to the earldom; and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, husband of the deceased Countess of Ross, Euphemia I. It is possible that Waghorn was a protégé of one of these men, and if he was, the most likely candidate is the Earl of Buchan, namely because he is found witnessing a number of charters of Isabella, Countess of Mar, wife of Buchan's illegitimate son, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar.

Bishop Alexander witnessed, at Kildrummy Castle in 1404, Isabella's deed handing over her rights to Buchan's son. He was at Perth in July 18, 1408, where he attended an ecclesiastical council and witnessed a deed. He can be found at St Andrews on February 4 and February 6, 1414, attending the ceremonies celebrating the receipt of the papal bull which authorised the founding of the University of St Andrews; Bishop Alexander made a sermon on February 6. [Dowden, "Bishops", p. 216; Watt, "Dictionary", p. 562.] He is found for the last time at Perth on March 17, 1416, witnessing a transumpt made by an ecclesiastical council. It is not known when he died, but the earliest secure date is February 14, 1418. [Watt, "Dictionary", p. 562; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 368.]

Notes

References

* Dowden, John, "The Bishops of Scotland", ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
* McGurk, Francis (ed.), "Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon, 1394-1419", (Edinburgh, 1976)
* Watt, D. E. R., "Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638", 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)