Bishop of the Isles
Encyclopedia
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Sodor
Diocese of Sodor and Man
Sodor and Man is a diocese of the Church of England. Originally much larger, today it covers just the Isle of Man and its adjacent islets.-Early history:...
, one of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, encompasing both the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
and Mann
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, probably traces its origins as an ecclesiastical unity to the careers of Olaf, King of the Isles, and Bishop Wimund
Wimund
Wimund was a bishop who became a sea-faring war-lord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his Historia rerum anglicarum, Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bishop Wimund, his life unbecoming a bishop, and how he was...
. Previously, there had been numerous bishoprics, and recorded bishoprics include Kingarth
Kingarth
Kingarth is a historic village and parish on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of south-western Scotland. In the Early Middle Ages it was the site of a monastery and bishopric and the cult centre of Saints Cathan and Bláán ....
, Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
, Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
and Mann. There were very likely numerous others.
List of known bishops of Iona
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| d. 623 | Fergno Britt mac Faílbi | Was one of the companions of Saint Columba Columba Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period... . He was the 4th abbot of Iona, and is also styled "bishop". |
| fl. x697-712 | Coeddi | The Annals of Ulster Annals of Ulster The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the... , s.a. 712.1, records his death and styles him Coeddi episcopus Iae (i.e. "Coeddi, Bishop of Iona"). |
| d. 713 | Dorbbéne | Dunchad Dunchad I of Iona Dúnchad mac Cinn Fáelad was the eleventh abbot of Iona . He was the son of Cenn Fáelad, and grandson of Máel Coba, of the Cenél Conaill... appears to have been Abbot of Iona Abbot of Iona The Abbot of Iona was the head of Iona Abbey during the Middle Ages and the leader of the monastic community of Iona, as well as the overlord of scores of monasteries in both Scotland and Ireland, including Durrow, Kells and, for a time, Lindisfarne... during Dorbbéne's time in charge. The abbacy was either divided or Dorbbéne was bishop while Dunchad was abbot. |
| fl. mid. 800s | Patrick | Testified as bishop "i Suðreyjam" (in the Hebrides) in Norse sources, was perhaps merely a legendary figure. |
| d. 963 | Fothad | According to the Annals of the Four Masters Annals of the Four Masters The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history... , s.a. 961.3 (=s.a. 963), he was Fothadh, mac Brain, scribhnidh & espucc Insi Alban; that is, "Fothad, son of Bran, scribe and bishop of the islands of Scotland". We know from other sources that he was probably bishop of Cennrígmonaid (i.e. St. Andrews), or at least, "High Bishop of Scotland" without a specific see. |
| d. 966 | Finguine | The Annals of the Four Masters record his death in 966 (=s.a. M964.3) as "anchorite and Bishop of Iona". |
List of known bishops of Cenn Garad
Kingarth was a church on the Isle of ButeIsle of Bute
Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
, supposedly founded by Saint Chattan and Saint Blane
Saint Blane
Saint Blane was a Bishop and Confessor in Scotland, born on the Isle of Bute, date unknown; died 590. His feast is kept on 10 August. He was a nephew of St. Cathan, and was educated in Ireland under Sts. Comgall and Kenneth; he became a monk, went to Scotland, and was eventually bishop among the...
. Three abbots are known, but only two bishops. Sadly, little is known about the abbey, bishopric and individual clerics.
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| d. 660 | Daniél | The Annals of Ulster Annals of Ulster The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the... , s.a. 660.1, records the death of this "and Daniél, bishop of Cenn Garad". |
| d. 689 | Iolán | The Annals of Ulster, s.a. 689.1, record the death of this Iolán, "bishop of Cenn Garad". |
List of known bishops of Mann
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| x1079 | Roolwer | |
| x1079 | William | |
| fl. 1079x1095 | Hamond | |
| el. 1103x1108 | Anonymous | An unnamed bishop is presented for consecration to Gerard, the Archbishop of York Archbishop of York The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man... . He may or may not have been Wimund Wimund Wimund was a bishop who became a sea-faring war-lord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his Historia rerum anglicarum, Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bishop Wimund, his life unbecoming a bishop, and how he was... . |
List of known bishops of Isles (including Mann)
The list of bishops known to have ruled the whole of what became the Diocese of the Isles (Sodor).| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1134–x 1148 | Wimund Wimund Wimund was a bishop who became a sea-faring war-lord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his Historia rerum anglicarum, Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bishop Wimund, his life unbecoming a bishop, and how he was... |
Described as bishop of sancta ecclesia de Schith "holy church of Skye Skye Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills... " (1109 x 1114). His bishopric may have been confined to Skye until 1134 x 1138, when he was definitely bishop of the Isles and Mann. |
| x 1148–x 1152 | Nicholas (I.) | Presented by King Olaf of Mann to the Archbishop of York for consecration; no evidence positively that he took office. |
| 1151 x 1152–1152 x 1154 | John | Not known to have possessed his see. He was probably a candidate of the Archbishop of York who proved unacceptable to King Olaf. |
| 1154–1154 x 1166 | Gamaliel | |
| 1154 x 1166–1170 | Ragnald (I.) | A Norwegian; called, variously, Reinarb, Reinar, Nemar and Nemarr. |
| 1166–1170 x 1194 | Christian | It is possible that this is the same as Christian, Bishop of Whithorn Christian of Whithorn Christian of Whithorn was Bishop of Whithorn , the second incumbent of that Episcopal See since it had been resurrected by King Fergus of Galloway earlier in the 12th century.... . |
| x 1194–1203 | Michael | |
| 1203 x 1210–1217 | Nicholas (II.) | Also called Koli, Scandinavian shortening of Nicholas. |
| 1217 x 1226 | Ragnald (II.) Reginald, Bishop of the Isles Reginald was an early 13th century Bishop of the Isles. According to the Chronicle of Mann, he was related to the Crovan dynasty, the royal family of the Kingdom of the Isles. The chronicle specifically states that he was the son of a sister of Olaf Godredsson, King of the Isles .In 1217, with the... |
A member of the royal family of the Isles Crovan dynasty The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles... . May not have had the support of Furness Abbey Furness Abbey Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness is a former monastery situated on the outskirts of the English town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, behind only Fountains Abbey in North... , who at that point held the right to elect the Bishop of the Isles. |
| 1217 x 1219–1224 x 1225 | Nicholas (III.) Nicholas of Meaux Nicholas of Meaux was a mid 13th century Abbot of Furness and Bishop of the Isles. In 1217, with the death of Nicholas, Bishop of the Isles , two candidates vied for the vacant position—Nicholas and a certain Reginald , who is described by the Chronicle of Mann as related to the ruling family of... |
Was Abbot of Furness. |
| 1224 x 1226–1226 | John son of Hefar | Died in an accident soon after becoming bishop. |
| 1226–1248 | Simon | |
| 1248 | Laurence | Laurence had been the archdeacon Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church... of Mann, and was elected to the bishopric after the death of Bishop Simon. He presented himself to the King of Norway and the Archbishop of Trondheim; the king would not agree to the election until he had visited personally; however, Laurence and his party drowned near Shetland on the voyage back to Mann. |
| 1253–1275 | Richard [de Natherton?] | An Englishman who was a canon Canon (priest) A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule .... of St Andrews Cathedral Priory St Andrews Cathedral Priory St Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Plans were made for its foundation in the reign of Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim , who set aside some land for that purpose. It was finally established by King David I and his son in 1140 with canons from... in Scotland. Surname "de Natherton" is hypothetical, but supported by evidence. |
| el. 1275 | Gilbert | Englishman. Previously Abbot of Rushden, he was apparently elected to the see after the death of Bishop Richard. However, King Alexander III of Scotland Alexander III of Scotland Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:... ignored the election and installed instead a Galwegian named Mark. |
| 1275–1303 | Marcus | A Galwegian, blind at his death in 1303. |
| 1303 x 1305–1322 | Ailean | Another Galwegian. |
| 1324–1326 x 1327 | Giolla-Brighde Mac Giolla-Faoláin | Another Galwegian, "Gilbert MacLellan". |
| 1332 x 1331 | Cormac Mac Chormaic | Written Cormac Cormacii; was elected by canons of Skye, but does not appear to have obtained confirmation. |
| 1327 x 1328–1328 x 1331 | Bernard of Kilwinning Bernard of Kilwinning Bernard was a Tironensian abbot, administrator and bishop active in late 13th- and early 14th-century Scotland, during the First War of Scottish Independence... |
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| 1331–1348 | Thomas de Rossy Thomas de Rossy (Bishop of the Isles) Thomas de Rossy was a fourteenth-century Scottish prelate. He appears in the historical record for the first time in 1331, when Pope John XXII provided him to succeed Bernard as Bishop of the Isles. At this stage, the papal sources name him as a canon of Dunkeld Cathedral.Probably while at the... |
|
| 1349–1374 | William Russell William Russell (bishop) William Russell was a fourteenth-century Cistercian prelate. He appears to have begun his career as a Cistercian monk at Rushen Abbey on the Isle of Man , ascending to the rank of abbot there, before being elected Bishop of Mann and the Isles... |
|
| 1374–1387/1392 | John Dongan John Dongan John Dongan [Donegan, Donnegan, Donkan, Duncan] was a medieval Manx prelate. After holding the position of Archdeacon of Down, he held three successive bishoprics, Mann and the Isles , then the see of Derry and then, lastly, Down.He resigned his last bishopric in 1413, and died afterwards at an... |
Deprived of bishopric in 1387 by Scottish-backed Avignon Pope Clement VII. Continued in English-controlled Mann until 1392, but from 1387 onwards the diocese has permanently split into two parts. |
List of bishops of the Isles (excluding Mann)
The bishopric of the Isles became divided, primarily because the see became divided between the kings of England and Scotland. The English had taken over Mann, leaving the other islands to the north under Scottish overlordship.| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1387–1409 | Michael | Was Archbishop of Cashel Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838.... when translated to this see by Clement VII, upon deprivation of Dongan. |
| prov. 1422 | Michael Ochiltree Michael Ochiltree Michael Ochiltree [Ouchtre] was a 15th century Scottish prelate and administrator. A close associate of King James I of Scotland, from the late 1410s he rose in rank from canon to Dean of Dunblane and then Bishop of Dunblane... |
Received papal provision, but was aborted. |
| 1426–1437 x 1441 | Aonghas (I.) | |
| 1441–1467 x 1472 | Eóin Mac Gill-Eathain | Johannes Hectoris Macgilleon. |
| 1472–1479 x 1480 | Aonghas (II.) | |
| 1487–1490 | Eóin Caimbeul (I.) | |
| 1510–1513 | George Hepburn George Hepburn George Hepburn was the son of Adam Hepburn and brother to Patrick Hepburn, the first Earl of Bothwell.He was a churchman, and served firstly as postulate Abbot of Arbroath, before becoming Lord High Treasurer of Scotland for a brief spell in 1509... |
|
| 1514–1532 | Eóin Caimbeul (II.) | Received papal provision but never paid for it, so had still not been confirmed when he resigned his right to Fearchar Mac Eachainn in 1528 and in 1532. |
| nom. 1529 | James Stewart | The Abbot of Dryburgh Abbot of Dryburgh The Abbot of Dryburgh was the head of the Premonstratensian community of canons regular of Dryburgh Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The monastery was founded in 1150 by canons regular from Alnwick Abbey with the patronage of Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale... , nominated unsuccessfully by the crown. |
| 1528–1544 x 1546 | Fearchar Mac Eachainn | Called Fearchar/Ferquhard "MacCachane" and "Hecotris". |
| 1544–1552 x 1553 | Ruaidhri Mac Gill-Eathain | |
| 1545–1546 | Ruaidhri Mac Alasdair | Candidate of Domhnall Dubh Domhnall Dubh Domhnall Dubh was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald , and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross .... . |
| 1547 | John Hay | Names occurs as "postulate of Sodor" in English source dating 1547. Nothing else known. |
| 1547–1552 | Padraig Mac Gill-Eain | |
| 1554–1559 | Alexander Gordon | Nominal Archbishop of Athens. |
| 1557–1560 x 1562 | Eóin Caimbeul | |
| nom. 1564 x 1565 | Padraig Mac Gill-Eathain | Transferred his nomination to Séon Carsuel in exchange for pension. |
| 1565–1572 | Séon Carsuel Séon Carsuel Séon Carsuel was a 16th-century Scottish prelate, humanist and Protestant reformer... |
|
| 1567 | Lachlann Mac Gill-Eathain | Obtained provision in secret from Mary, Queen of Scots. Transferred his rights to Carswell. |
| 1572–1592 x 1594 | Eóin Caimbeul (again) | |
| 1605–1618 x 1619 | Andrew Knox | |
| 1619–1627 x 1628 | Thomas Knox Thomas Knox Thomas Knox was a Scottish prelate from the 17th century. The son of Andrew Knox, Bishop of the Isles, he received crown provision to the Deanery of the Isles on 4 August 1617... |
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| 1628–1633 | John Leslie John Leslie (bishop of Clogher) John Leslie was a combative Scottish royalist bishop of Clogher, who became known as the "fighting bishop" for his resistance to the Irish rebellion of 1641 and the parliamentarian forces.-Life:... |
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| 1634–1638 | Niall Caimbeul | Episcopacy abolished in 1638. |
| 1661–1675 | Robert Wallace | Episcopacy restored in 1661. |
| 1678–1680 | Andrew Wood Andrew Wood (bishop) Andrew Wood was a Scottish prelate from the 17th century. The son of David Wood, Church of Scotland minister, by a daughter of John Guthrie, Bishop of Moray, he followed his father's career in the ministry.... |
Was translated Bishop of Caithness Bishop of Caithness The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his... in 1680. |
| 1680–1688 | Archibald Graham Archibald Graham (bishop) Archibald Graham was a Scottish prelate from the 17th century. From the Graham family of Kilbride, he became a Church of Scotland minister, and was parson of Rothesay before, in 1680, becoming Bishop of the Isles. After the Revolution of 1688, all Church of Scotland bishops, including Graham, lost... |
Episcopacy permanently abolished in Scottish church. |
External links
- Annals of the Four Masters
- Annals of Ulster
- List of the Bishops of the Diocese of Sodor and Man