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David Cunningham (bishop)
Encyclopedia
David Cunningham was a 16th century Scottish
prelate
and diplomat
. He was the first Bishop of Aberdeen fully independent of the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor, William Gordon
began as a Roman Catholic bishop, but accepted the Church of Scotland
's authority.
Born around 1540, he graduated in the early 1560s as Master of Arts
from St Leonard's College, St Andrews. Cunningham also studied Civil Law
in France
, at the University of Paris
and the University of Bourges
.
He became a Protestant sometime before 1562, when he was made minister of Lanark
; he held this position until 1570, when he took over Lesmahagow
, moving to Cadder
in 1572 and then to Lenzie
in 1574. Additionally, on 22 March 1572, Cunningham became Provost
of Bothwell
Collegiate Church
.
After the appointment of Patrick Adamson
as Archbishop of St Andrews
in December 1576, Cunningham replaced Adamson as the chaplain
of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
, Regent
of Scotland
. With access to such high level magnate
patronage, on either 5 October or 5 November 1577, Cunningham was elected as Bishop of Aberdeen
, receiving consecration on 11 November. In this year, too, he became Chancellor
of King's College, Aberdeen
.
Cunningham would eventually enjoy a good relationship with the king, but his association with Regent Morton initially made him suspect. The death of his patron, Morton, in 1581, put his position under pressure, and he was forced to flee into the west for a little time. He was also under pressure from the a large section of the Scottish church
, which was becoming more hostile to episcopacy; in 1586, the General Assembly accused him of adultery, a charge which the king cleared him of in 1587.
He became a trusted servant of the king, James VI of Scotland, and it was Cunningham who was chosen to baptise the king's son, Prince Henry
, on 30 August 1594. Cunningham helped negotiate reconciliation between the king and the devoutly Catholic George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly
, and in 1598 was sent to Denmark
and Germany
to promote King James' claims to the throne of the Kingdom of England
.
Cunningham died on 30 August 1600, at Aberdeen
.
He was once married, but had no children. He left assets of £3052 (Scots
). He founded a grammar school
in Banff.
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...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was the first Bishop of Aberdeen fully independent of the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor, William Gordon
William Gordon (bishop)
William Gordon was a 16th century Scottish noble and prelate, the last of the pre-Reformation bishops of Aberdeen owing allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church....
began as a Roman Catholic bishop, but accepted the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
's authority.
Born around 1540, he graduated in the early 1560s as Master of Arts
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
from St Leonard's College, St Andrews. Cunningham also studied Civil Law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and the University of Bourges
University of Bourges
The University of Bourges was a university located in Bourges, France. It was founded by Louis XI in 1463 and deleted during french Revolution.-Notable alumni:* Patrick Adamson * John Calvin * Hugues Doneau...
.
He became a Protestant sometime before 1562, when he was made minister of Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
; he held this position until 1570, when he took over Lesmahagow
Lesmahagow
Lesmahagow is a small town on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. It is also known as Abbey Green.-Etymology:The name is possibly a corruption of "Church of St Machutus"...
, moving to Cadder
Cadder
Cadder is a district of the town of Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Located 7 km north of Glasgow city centre, 0.5 km south of the River Kelvin, and approximately 1.5 km north-east of Bishopbriggs town centre, sited on the route of the Forth and Clyde Canal...
in 1572 and then to Lenzie
Lenzie
Lenzie is a small town by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. It is about six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of about 10,000.-Name:...
in 1574. Additionally, on 22 March 1572, Cunningham became Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of Bothwell
Bothwell
Bothwell is a small town in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, nine miles east-south-east of Glasgow city centre....
Collegiate Church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
.
After the appointment of Patrick Adamson
Patrick Adamson
Patrick Adamson , Scottish divine, Archbishop of St Andrews, was born at Perth, Scotland, where his father, Patrick Adamson, was Dean of the Merchant Guildry. He studied Philosophy, and took the degree of M.A...
as Archbishop of St Andrews
Archbishop of St Andrews
The Bishop of St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews and then, as Archbishop of St Andrews , the Archdiocese of St Andrews.The name St Andrews is not the town or church's original name...
in December 1576, Cunningham replaced Adamson as the chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, jure uxoris 4th Earl of Morton was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he did manage to win the civil war which had been dragging on with the supporters of the exiled Mary, Queen of...
, Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Scotland
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...
. With access to such high level magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
patronage, on either 5 October or 5 November 1577, Cunningham was elected as Bishop of Aberdeen
Bishop of Aberdeen
The Bishop of Aberdeen was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Nechtan...
, receiving consecration on 11 November. In this year, too, he became 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 King's College, Aberdeen
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
.
Cunningham would eventually enjoy a good relationship with the king, but his association with Regent Morton initially made him suspect. The death of his patron, Morton, in 1581, put his position under pressure, and he was forced to flee into the west for a little time. He was also under pressure from the a large section of the Scottish church
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, which was becoming more hostile to episcopacy; in 1586, the General Assembly accused him of adultery, a charge which the king cleared him of in 1587.
He became a trusted servant of the king, James VI of Scotland, and it was Cunningham who was chosen to baptise the king's son, Prince Henry
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
, on 30 August 1594. Cunningham helped negotiate reconciliation between the king and the devoutly Catholic George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...
, and in 1598 was sent to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to promote King James' claims to the throne of the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
.
Cunningham died on 30 August 1600, at Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
He was once married, but had no children. He left assets of £3052 (Scots
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
). He founded a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Banff.
See also
- Scottish ReformationScottish ReformationThe Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...