Robert de Cardeny was a late 14th century and early 15th century Scottish cleric. He was the son of one John Cardeny, and sister of the royal mistress Mariota de Cardeny. His early career is obscure. In 1378-80, King Robert II of Scotland

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...

 petitioned the Pope for a canonry

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 ....

 in the diocese of Moray

Diocese of Moray

The Diocese of Moray was one of the most important of the medieval dioceses in Scotland. It was founded in the early years of the 12th century by David I of Scotland under its first bishop, Gregoir...

 for one Robert de Cardun, despite the fact that the latter already held canonries and prebends in the diocese of Dunblane

Diocese of Dunblane

The Diocese of Dunblane or Diocese of Strathearn was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland, before the abolition of episcopacy in the Scottish Church in 1689. Roughly, it embraced the territories covered by the old earldoms of Strathearn and Menteith. The diocese was founded by the...

 and Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...

. This Robert de Cardun was both a member of King Robert's household and a student 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...

. Robert had graduated at Paris in 1381 as Licentiate

Licentiate

Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...

. In 1392 he was a receiver of the "English Nation" at Paris and custodian of the Nation's seal. In 1394 Robert was still in Paris, now as Master Robert de Cardeny

By the time of his provision of the see of Dunkeld

Diocese of Dunkeld

The Diocese of Dunkeld was one of the 13 historical dioceses of Scotland preceding the abolition of Episcopacy in 1689.-History:It is thought that the diocese was constituted as far back as the middle of the ninth century. The first occupant was styled Bishop of Fortriu, the name by which the...

 in 1398, he already held the position of 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:...

. He had been provided to the see by Pope Benedict XIII  on 17 November 1398, and had been consecrated as Bishop of Dunkeld

Bishop of Dunkeld

The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Cormac...

 by the November of the following year. It was said by Alexander Myln that Robert owed his promotion to the affection which King Robert III of Scotland

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...

 had for Cardeny's sister, Mariota, who had been the mistress of King Robert II, Robert III's father.

Robert enjoyed an episcopate of nearly 40 years. He secured the obedience of the Abbot of Iona to Dunkeld in 1431, and in 1433 witnessed the foundation charter of the 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...

 of Methven

Methven

-Places:* Methven, Perth and Kinross, village in Scotland* Methven, New Zealand, in Canterbury-People:* Colin Methven, Scottish footballer* Jimmy Methven, Scottish footballer* Tom Methven, New Zealand footballer* Robert Methven Petrie, Canadian astronomer...

. Among other activities, he was an auditor for the parliament of 1429-30. His episcopate saw the building of a new nave

Nave

In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...

 for Dunkeld Cathedral

Dunkeld Cathedral

Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Built in square-stone style of predominantly grey sandstone, the cathedral proper was begun in 1260 and completed in 1501...

 and the construction of a new chapel devoted to Saint Ninian

Saint Ninian

Saint Ninian is a Christian saint first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland...

. Robert fathered at least one son with an unmarried woman, Patrick de Cardeny, who became a clerk of the diocese of Dunkeld. Bishop Robert died on either 16 or 17 January 1437.