Alexander de Kylwos
Encyclopedia
Alexander de Kylwos - written alternatively as Frylquhous, Kylquos, and a variety of other forms - was a Scottish
churchman and prelate active in the second half of the 14th century. He is known to have held senior positions in three bishoprics, and senior offices in two, before being elected and appointed Bishop of Ross
in 1371. Though his episcopate is relatively obscure, he seems to have spent almost all of it inside or around his province, was closely associated with William III
and Euphemia I
, successive rulers of Ross
, and was an associate of the famous Alexander Bur
, Bishop of Moray
, during the latter's struggle with Alexander Stewart, the son of the King later known by the nickname "Wolf of Badenoch".
in Fife
. His family is obscure, but it is known that during his time as Bishop of Ross
, probably in the 1390s, he brought one John de Kylwos - clearly a relative - into his diocese, as the Subdean. Alexander was certainly born in or more likely a good period before the year 1326, because he is known to have been a priest in 1350, the minimum age for which was 24 years old.
Kylwos' first appearance in history occurred on 30 April 1350, when he added his seal
to a charter
of William III, Earl of Ross
; here he is the elect Dean
of the Ross
. On this date Alexander was styled "Master", indicating that he had already completed many years of university education, though when and where is a mystery.
The papal confirmation for his election to the deanery, dated 9 September, indicates that he had previously been the Chancellor
of the diocese of Ross; is not known how long he had held the chancellorship of the diocese, and unfortunately no previous chancellor can be traced later than 1333.
Alexander's next appearance is on 18 September 1357, at Rosemarkie
, when he was appointed as the proctor
of the Ross cathedral chapter
responsible for ensuring the payment of their contribution to the ransom
of King David II of Scotland
. At some point between June 1361 and August 1362 he is found fulfilling some arrears to King David's Chamberlain
on account of the ransom.
On 13 December 1366, he was attending a statute-passing meeting of the chapter of Aberdeen Cathedral, and here it becomes known that he held a canonry and prebend in the diocese of Aberdeen
.
He attended the parliament at Scone
on 27 September 1367, as proctor of Alexander Stewart
, Bishop of Ross, and remained behind as part of a small representative committee elected to finish off some parliamentary business. By December 1368, he was the papal chamber's sub-collector in Scotland, deputising to William de Greenlaw, Archdeacon of St Andrews
.
On 7 December 1368, he was provided as Dean of Moray
, and instructed to resign the deanery of Ross and his Aberdeen canonry upon obtaining possession. For some reason, perhaps because of administrative confusion, on 11 December the papacy also provided one Thomas de Harcars to the deanery of Moray, but it is Kylwos alone who obtained possession, being found in such by 19 December 1370.
was addressed to Kylwos as "elect of Ross", and describes how following Bishop Stewart's the chapter of Ross had elected Kylwos in ignorance of the pope's previous reservation of the see; the election was declared void, but on account of the chapter's expressed will he nevertheless provided Kylwos to the see.
It is probable that he did travel to Avignon
to obtain this confirmation of his election and to receive consecration, as no Bishop of Ross was available to attend the coronation of Robert II
at Scone and following parliament on 27 March. He is first known to have been a consecrated bishop on 6 March 1372, though no document records the date on which his consecration took place. A promise of his "services" was made on 22 May 1371, part of which were paid through William de Greenlaw, acting as proctor, on 2 September 1372; another part was paid on 15 April 1374, this time through Adam de Tyninghame
, future Bishop of Aberdeen.
Kylwos was back in Scotland in 1372, attending Robert II's Scone parliament of 6 March, and then the Scone parliament of 3/4 April 1373. Kylwos was afterwards very little involved in national affairs, largely confining himself to activities which concerned Ross
and his diocese there; thus, despite being bishop for a quarter of a century, documentation of his episcopate is weak.
He is found witnessing a Moray Registrum charter at Nigg
on 21 October 1375. A papal mandate of 3 October 1379, mentions a dispute between Bishop Alexander and one of his canons, John de Carralle, authorising the dispute to be settled by the Bishop of Moray. The dispute also involved the Bishop of St Andrews, William de Landallis
, two priests, and two laymen from the diocese of St Andrews and the diocese of Brechin
; the dispute involved revenues from the prebend of Colyroden (i.e. Cullicudden
) in Ross
and the church of Mockard (i.e. Muckhart
) in St Andrews
dioceses, though the exact details at issue are not revealed.
He witnessed a charter of Euphemia I, Countess of Ross
and her husband Walter Leslie at Tain
on 26 November 1380, another at Elgin
on 18 August 1381, and yet another at Dingwall
in March 1382. On 7 February 1382, he was at Montrose
in Angus
and is recorded, along with Alexander Bur
, Bishop of Moray, adding his seal to a document which transferred the lands of Abernethy, Strathspey
, into the hands of Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch
and Earl of Buchan
.
He is found again over seven years later, at Inverness
, on 27 October 1389, witnessing a settlement between Alexander Bur and the titular Earl of Moray
, John de Dunbar. He is found once more with Alexander Bur, on 2 November that year, commanding Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, to take back Euphemia, to whom Stewart had been nominally married. He was at Scone on 2 December 1390, on Bur's behalf demanding that King Robert III
deliver justice after Buchan had burned down Elgin Cathedral
, the seat of Bur's Moray bishopric.
The remainder of Kylwos' last decade as Bishop of Ross is obscure. He is mentioned in a papal mandate, dated 31 March 1396, in relation to his grant of the subdeanery to John de Kylwos. According to the Calendar of Fearn, he died on 6 July 1398. The bishopric of Ross was said to have been reserved, once again, as a papal benefice during Kylwos' episcopate.
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
churchman and prelate active in the second half of the 14th century. He is known to have held senior positions in three bishoprics, and senior offices in two, before being elected and appointed Bishop of Ross
Bishop of Ross
The Bishop of Ross was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Ross, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first recorded bishop appears in the late 7th century as a witness to Adomnán of Iona's Cáin Adomnáin. The bishopric was based at the settlement of Rosemarkie until the mid-13th...
in 1371. Though his episcopate is relatively obscure, he seems to have spent almost all of it inside or around his province, was closely associated with William III
Uilleam III, Earl of Ross
Uilleam III of Ross was the fourth successor of Ferchar mac in tSagairt, as Mormaer of Ross .Uilleam came into his inheritance at a torrid time, his father Aodh dying at the Battle of Halidon Hill. Uilleam temporarily lost many of his lands. However, he returned from Norway in 1336 and regained them...
and Euphemia I
Euphemia I, Countess of Ross
Euphemia I , also called Euphemia of Ross and Euphemia Ross, and sometimes incorrectly styled Euphemia Leslie and Euphemia Stewart , was a Countess of Ross in her own right.Euphemia was the elder daughter of Uilleam III, Mormaer of Ross...
, successive rulers of Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
, and was an associate of the famous Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur was a 14th-century Scottish cleric. It is highly possible that Bur came from somewhere in or around Aberdeenshire, although that is not certain and is only based on the knowledge that Aberdeenshire is where other people bearing his surname come from in this period...
, Bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
, during the latter's struggle with Alexander Stewart, the son of the King later known by the nickname "Wolf of Badenoch".
Early life
He may take his name from Kilwhiss near AuchtermuchtyAuchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty is a town in Fife, Scotland, situated beside Pitlour Hill nine miles north of Glenrothes. Until 1975 it was a royal burgh, established under charter of King James V in 1517. There is evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 2,000 years, and the Romans are known to...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. His family is obscure, but it is known that during his time as Bishop of Ross
Bishop of Ross
The Bishop of Ross was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Ross, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first recorded bishop appears in the late 7th century as a witness to Adomnán of Iona's Cáin Adomnáin. The bishopric was based at the settlement of Rosemarkie until the mid-13th...
, probably in the 1390s, he brought one John de Kylwos - clearly a relative - into his diocese, as the Subdean. Alexander was certainly born in or more likely a good period before the year 1326, because he is known to have been a priest in 1350, the minimum age for which was 24 years old.
Kylwos' first appearance in history occurred on 30 April 1350, when he added his seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
to a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
of William III, Earl of Ross
Uilleam III, Earl of Ross
Uilleam III of Ross was the fourth successor of Ferchar mac in tSagairt, as Mormaer of Ross .Uilleam came into his inheritance at a torrid time, his father Aodh dying at the Battle of Halidon Hill. Uilleam temporarily lost many of his lands. However, he returned from Norway in 1336 and regained them...
; here he is the elect Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
of the Ross
Diocese of Ross
The Diocese of Ross was an ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Scotland in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Ross, and was based at Fortrose. The diocese had only one Archdeacon, the Archdeacon of Ross, first attested in 1223 with the appearance of...
. On this date Alexander was styled "Master", indicating that he had already completed many years of university education, though when and where is a mystery.
The papal confirmation for his election to the deanery, dated 9 September, indicates that he had previously been the Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the diocese of Ross; is not known how long he had held the chancellorship of the diocese, and unfortunately no previous chancellor can be traced later than 1333.
Alexander's next appearance is on 18 September 1357, at Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie
Rosemarkie is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in northern Scotland.-Geography:Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of Fortrose...
, when he was appointed as the proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
of the Ross cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
responsible for ensuring the payment of their contribution to the ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
of King David II of Scotland
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
. At some point between June 1361 and August 1362 he is found fulfilling some arrears to King David's Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
on account of the ransom.
On 13 December 1366, he was attending a statute-passing meeting of the chapter of Aberdeen Cathedral, and here it becomes known that he held a canonry and prebend in the diocese of Aberdeen
Diocese of Aberdeen
Diocese of Aberdeen was one of the 13 dioceses of the Scottish church, before the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689.-Early history:...
.
He attended the parliament at Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
on 27 September 1367, as proctor of Alexander Stewart
Alexander Stewart (d. 1371)
Alexander Stewart was a 14th century Scottish bishop. Probably from Menteith, he appears in the sources from the first half of 1340s, possessing a university degree and holding the position of Archdeacon of Ross...
, Bishop of Ross, and remained behind as part of a small representative committee elected to finish off some parliamentary business. By December 1368, he was the papal chamber's sub-collector in Scotland, deputising to William de Greenlaw, Archdeacon of St Andrews
Archdeacon of St Andrews
The Archdeacon of St Andrews was the head of the Archdeaconry of St Andrews, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews, from the twelfth to the seventeenth century...
.
On 7 December 1368, he was provided as Dean of Moray
Dean of Moray
The Dean of Moray was the head of the cathedral chapter of the diocese of Moray, north-central Scotland, based at Elgin Cathedral. The diocese of Moray is first known to have had a dean from a document dating between 1207 and 1208, and its first dean known by name from a document dating between...
, and instructed to resign the deanery of Ross and his Aberdeen canonry upon obtaining possession. For some reason, perhaps because of administrative confusion, on 11 December the papacy also provided one Thomas de Harcars to the deanery of Moray, but it is Kylwos alone who obtained possession, being found in such by 19 December 1370.
Bishop of Ross
On 9 May 1371, Alexander was given papal provision to the bishopric of Ross following the death of Bishop Alexander Stewart. Alexander Steward is found to have been alive for the last time on 4 February though the date of his death afterwards in not known. The letter of provision by Pope Gregory IXPope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
was addressed to Kylwos as "elect of Ross", and describes how following Bishop Stewart's the chapter of Ross had elected Kylwos in ignorance of the pope's previous reservation of the see; the election was declared void, but on account of the chapter's expressed will he nevertheless provided Kylwos to the see.
It is probable that he did travel to Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
to obtain this confirmation of his election and to receive consecration, as no Bishop of Ross was available to attend the coronation of Robert II
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
at Scone and following parliament on 27 March. He is first known to have been a consecrated bishop on 6 March 1372, though no document records the date on which his consecration took place. A promise of his "services" was made on 22 May 1371, part of which were paid through William de Greenlaw, acting as proctor, on 2 September 1372; another part was paid on 15 April 1374, this time through Adam de Tyninghame
Adam de Tyninghame
Adam de Tyninghame was a 14th century cleric and, as his name suggests, a probable native of Tyninghame in East Lothian. Adam appears in the records as rector of Falkirk from 1344, and by 1360 he was the secretary of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. In 1378, he was sent as one of four...
, future Bishop of Aberdeen.
Kylwos was back in Scotland in 1372, attending Robert II's Scone parliament of 6 March, and then the Scone parliament of 3/4 April 1373. Kylwos was afterwards very little involved in national affairs, largely confining himself to activities which concerned Ross
Ross
Ross is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning a headland - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - Hrossay meaning horse island - is another possible origin. The area...
and his diocese there; thus, despite being bishop for a quarter of a century, documentation of his episcopate is weak.
He is found witnessing a Moray Registrum charter at Nigg
Nigg, Highland
Nigg is a village and parish on the north east shore of Nigg Bay in north east Ross-shire and is in the Scottish council area of Highland...
on 21 October 1375. A papal mandate of 3 October 1379, mentions a dispute between Bishop Alexander and one of his canons, John de Carralle, authorising the dispute to be settled by the Bishop of Moray. The dispute also involved the Bishop of St Andrews, William de Landallis
William de Landallis
William de Landallis was a 14th century Bishop of St. Andrews. Like his predecessor, James Bane, he was a native of Aberdeenshire, serving as rector of Kinkell before being appointed by Pope Benedict XII as the successor of James at St. Andrews...
, two priests, and two laymen from the diocese of St Andrews and the diocese of Brechin
Diocese of Brechin
The pre-Reformation Diocese of Brechin or Diocese of Angus was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland. The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedral in Brechin, Angus...
; the dispute involved revenues from the prebend of Colyroden (i.e. Cullicudden
Cullicudden
Cullicudden is a village located close to the south shore of the Cromarty Firth, 2 miles northeast of Dingwall, on the west shore of the Black Isle in Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
) in Ross
Ross
Ross is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning a headland - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - Hrossay meaning horse island - is another possible origin. The area...
and the church of Mockard (i.e. Muckhart
Muckhart
Muckhart commonly refers to two small villages in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Pool of Muckhart and Yetts o' Muckhart. Muckhart is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated on the A91 around 3 miles north-east of Dollar...
) in St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
dioceses, though the exact details at issue are not revealed.
He witnessed a charter of Euphemia I, Countess of Ross
Euphemia I, Countess of Ross
Euphemia I , also called Euphemia of Ross and Euphemia Ross, and sometimes incorrectly styled Euphemia Leslie and Euphemia Stewart , was a Countess of Ross in her own right.Euphemia was the elder daughter of Uilleam III, Mormaer of Ross...
and her husband Walter Leslie at Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
on 26 November 1380, another at Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
on 18 August 1381, and yet another at Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
in March 1382. On 7 February 1382, he was at Montrose
Montrose, Angus
Montrose is a coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. It is situated 38 miles north of Dundee between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers...
in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
and is recorded, along with Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur was a 14th-century Scottish cleric. It is highly possible that Bur came from somewhere in or around Aberdeenshire, although that is not certain and is only based on the knowledge that Aberdeenshire is where other people bearing his surname come from in this period...
, Bishop of Moray, adding his seal to a document which transferred the lands of Abernethy, Strathspey
Strathspey
Strathspey may refer to one of the following:* Strathspey, Scotland, an area in the Highlands of Scotland;* Strathspey ....
, into the hands of Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch
Lord of Badenoch
The Lord of Badenoch was a magnate who ruled the lordship of Badenoch in the 13th century and early 14th century. The lordship may have been created out of the territory of the Meic Uilleim, after William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan, Justiciar of Scotia and Warden of Moray defeated Gille...
and Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
.
He is found again over seven years later, at Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, on 27 October 1389, witnessing a settlement between Alexander Bur and the titular Earl of Moray
Earl of Moray
The title Earl of Moray has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.Prior to the formal establishment of the peerage, Earl of Moray, numerous individuals ruled the kingdom of Moray or Mormaer of Moray until 1130 when the kingdom was destroyed by David I of Scotland.-History of the...
, John de Dunbar. He is found once more with Alexander Bur, on 2 November that year, commanding Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, to take back Euphemia, to whom Stewart had been nominally married. He was at Scone on 2 December 1390, on Bur's behalf demanding that King Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
deliver justice after Buchan had burned down Elgin Cathedral
Elgin Cathedral
Elgin Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II that was close to the River Lossie and outside of the burgh of...
, the seat of Bur's Moray bishopric.
The remainder of Kylwos' last decade as Bishop of Ross is obscure. He is mentioned in a papal mandate, dated 31 March 1396, in relation to his grant of the subdeanery to John de Kylwos. According to the Calendar of Fearn, he died on 6 July 1398. The bishopric of Ross was said to have been reserved, once again, as a papal benefice during Kylwos' episcopate.