Walter Stewart (Archdeacon of St Andrews)

Walter Stewart was a 15th century churchman in the Kingdom of Scotland. He was a cousin of King James II of Scotland, being like King James a grandson to King Robert III of Scotland; Walter went to university and obtained a Master of Arts. [Cockburn, "Bishops", p. 255, n. 8; Walter's father was said to have been a deacon.]

He is found as Archdeacon of Dunblane in a document dating to February 12, 1433; it is not known when he had obtained this office, and because the latest known occupation of the office by any predecessor goes back all the way to 1410 x 1411, it cannot be narrowed down significantly. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", pp. 117-8.]

Walter was still Archdeacon of Dunblane on November 3, 1456, but had given it up the following year for the St Andrews archdeaconry. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 118.] During his period as Archdeacon of Dunblane he was elected, following the death of Bishop Michael Ochiltree, as Bishop of Dunblane by the cathedral chapter. [Cockburn, "Bishops", p. 256, n. 8 (cont' from p. 255); Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 102.]

His election by the cathedral chapter of the see in 1447 turned out to be fruitless; Robert Lauder had been provided by the Pope in October, and by November 29 Walter has surrendered his rights to the bishopric. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 102.]

Walter was claiming the right to be Treasurer of Glasgow from 1452, litigating for the honour with two other parties, Thomas Lauder and John Balfour; he resigned the treasurership of Glasgow to Hugh Douglas in order to become Archdeacon of St Andrews: this occurred sometime between June 7, 1455, and October 1457. It is possible it can be more narrowly dated to after November 3, 1456, when he is found still holding the Dunblane archdeaconry. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 397; Watt & Moray write "Dk archd." (i.e. Dunkeld archdeacon), but Dunblane is meant.]

He was said to have had some right to the Treasurership of the diocese of Dunkeld in January 1456, but the details of this are not clear. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 148.] He was still in possession of the St Andrews archdeaconry on April 26, 1470, but resigned the position to the Abbot of Holyrood under faculty of Pope Paul II; this happened before July 26, 1471, the date of Pope Paul's death, though it is not until his successor William Scheves is first found occupying the office in 1474 that there can be certainty the resignation had gone through. [Watt & Murray, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 397.]

Walter had advanced so far in the church because of his royal blood, education and papal indulgence; in 1471 he was a papal chaplain, but was still an acolyte, only in minor orders. [Cockburn, "Bishops", p. 256, n. 8 (cont' from p. 255).]

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