The Prior of Whithorn was the head of the monastic community at Whithorn Priory

Whithorn Priory

Whithorn Priory is located in Wigtownshire, Galloway. It was founded about the middle of the twelfth century, in the reign of David I, by Fergus, Lord of Galloway, with Gille Aldan, Bishop of Galloway, for Premonstratensian Canons, referred colloquially in Britain as the White Canons.The canons of...

, attached to the bishopric of Galloway

Bishop of Galloway

The Bishop of Galloway, also called the Bishop of Whithorn, was the eccesiastical head of the Diocese of Galloway, said to have been founded by Saint Ninian in the mid-5th century. The subsequent Anglo-Saxon bishopric was founded in the late 7th century or early 8th century, and the first known...

 at Whithorn

Whithorn

Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...

. It was originally an Augustinian

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

 establishment, but became Premonstratensian by the time of the second or third known prior. As most of the priors of Whithorn appear to be native Galwegian

Galwegian Gaelic

Galwegian Gaelic is an extinct dialect of Scottish Gaelic formerly spoken in southwest Scotland. It was spoken by the independent kings of Galloway in their time, and by the people of Galloway and Carrick until the early modern period. It was once spoken in Annandale and Strathnith...

 Gaels

Gaels

The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....

, it would appear that most priors before the 16th century at least were drawn from region, something unusual in medieval Scotland. The following is a list of abbots and commendators.

List of priors of Whithorn

• Edanus (Adam or Áedan), 1154 x 1161
• William (?), 1172x1178
• Michael, 1200 x 1209.
• Malcolm, 1209 x 1226
• Paul, 1217 x 1235
• Duncan, 1235
• Gregory, 1235 x1253
• Duncan, 1273
• Dungal, 1279
• Thomas, 1287
• John, 1293 -1294
• Maurice, 1296
• Michael MacKenlagh
  Michael MacKenlagh
  Michael MacKenlagh was Bishop of Galloway or Whithorn . He had previously been Prior of Whithorn, head of the cathedral's monastery and leader of the local religious elite...
  
   (or de Makenlagh), 1355
• Gilbert, 1382-1413
• Thomas "Macilhachnisi" ("Makillehachuyfy"), 1413 -1431
• James Cameron, 1446
• William Douglas, 1447-1467 x 1468
• Fergus MacDowell, 1466-1470
• David Ralston, 1468
• David Lindsay, 1470
• Roger, 1473
• Patrick Vaus, 1474 -1503
• Patrick McCathroge [MacCaffrey?], x 1477
• Thomas Adunnale, 1470s
• Henry MacDowell, 1503-1514 x 1516

List of commendators

• Alexander Stewart de Pitcairne, 1516-1518
• Silvio Passarini, 1516-1526
• Gavin Dunbar
  Gavin Dunbar (archbishop)
  Gavin Dunbar was a 16th century archbishop of Glasgow. He was the third son of John Dunbar of Mochrum and Janet Stewart.Gavin Dunbar, his uncle, resigned as Dean of Moray on 5 November 1518 to take up the post of bishop of Aberdeen but managed to secure his former position for his nephew...
  
  , 1518-1524
• William Dick, 1520
• John Maxwell, 1524
• Ninian Fleming, 1524-1537 x 1539
• Abraham Vaus, 1532
• Malcolm Fleming, 1539-1568
• Robert Stewart, 1568-1581 x 1582
• William Fleming, 1568-1594
• Patrick Stewart, 1582-1605
• Gavin Hamilton
  Gavin Hamilton (bishop)
  Gavin Hamilton , bishop of Galloway, was the second son of John Hamilton of Orbiston, Lanarkshire. The father, descended from Sir James Hamilton of Cadzow, fell at the battle of Langside, fighting for Mary, Queen of Scots . Gavin was born about 1561, and was educated at the university of St...
  
  , 1605-1612