Walter Forrester
Encyclopedia
Walter Forrester bishop of Brechin
, was an administrator and prelate
in later medieval Scotland
. Originating in Angus
, he came from a family of English origin who by the end of the 14th century had become well established in Scottish society. A student of the University of Paris
and University of Orleans
, he began his career at home by the later 1370s.
He became a royal clerk, and appears to have held the position of archdeacon of Lothian
c. 1386. After extending his education at Paris in the 1390s, he returned to Scotland to continue clerical and ambassadorial duties for the monarch, and was awarded with the bishopric of Brechin in 1407. He held this post, along with that of Clerk of the Register, until his death in either 1425 or 1426.
, born sometime in or before 1355. The Forresters were a middle-ranking family of English origin who rose to greater prominence during Walter's lifetime. The name of his father is unrecorded, but his mother's name was Mariota or Marion. He had a brother named Patrick Forrester, a burgess of Dundee
, and a half-brother named Patrick de Dalgarnock. John Forrester, variously Archdeacon of Teviotdale
, Official of Aberdeen and Official of Glasgow, and Adam Forrester, burgess of Edinburgh
, laird of Corstorphine
and one of the wealthiest merchants in contemporary Scotland, were his kinsmen, though the detail of this kinship is not recorded.
Forrester attended the University of Paris
, graduating Bachelor of Arts
under fellow-Scot William de Trebrun in March 1375, and becoming Licentiate
in Arts the following May. He was a student of canon law
at the University of Orleans
c. 1375–79. He returned to Scotland by April 1379. By 12 April 1384 he was holding a canonry attached to Aberdeen Cathedral. It is likely that the prebend was the church of Mortlach, as he can be confirmed holding this church in a document datable to April 22 1392.
for a short period in 1386 (filling in for Duncan Petit), and served an auditor of the exchequer from March 1386. He is found as the officiating clerk in a treaty between Scotland and France sealed at Edinburgh on 1 December 1390. On or before 11 March 1391, he resigned to other members of his family his own land at Inverdovat in Forgan parish, Fife, reserving for himself a life-interest; this perhaps indicates that he had set himself on an ecclesiastical career.
He appears as Archdeacon of Lothian
in documents from 1386, an extremely prestigious position (or claim at least) he appears to have lost by 1390, when the position is securely held by another. Other honours held before the episcopate, excluding Mortlach, include the church of Liston
(by November 1391), previously held by Gilbert de Greenlaw
, and the office of sub-dean of Brechin.
From early 1393 until early 1399, he appears to have resumed his studies on the continent, financed perhaps by the Scottish king. By February 1394 he had an M.A.
from Paris, and served as regent in the Arts for several years while once again studying canon law. He was a Bachelor of Decrees by July 1398. He was three times serving proctor of the English nation at Paris, March and April 1395, winter 1396/7, and Summer 1398. He was university rector between October and December 1395. Along with two Germans and one John de Edinburgh, he represented the "English nation" at the Second Council of Paris (August and September 1396), and was the nation's proctor at the Third Council (May to July 1398), meetings aimed at ending the Schism
. This Council withdrew support from Pope Benedict XIII
("Antipope"), and there is much evidence that Forrester was an enthusiastic proponent of this position, though he later was to serve as a bishop in obedience to this pope.
Returning to Scotland in 1398, he regained his position as Clerk of the Wardrobe. At a royal council in Perth in January 1398, he was named as one of 20 assistants of the Duke of Rothesay
as lieutenant of the realm. He was exchequer auditor every year between 1399 and 1404, and was secretary of the king from either the second half of 1401 or first half of 1402, and held this position until Robert III
's death in 1406. By June 1403 he was Clerk of the Rolls, a position he would hold until his death. In the first five years of the 1400s he frequently served as an ambassador to the English, and went to France in 1406, appearing at Paris in April on a committee of the English nation, a trip perhaps connected with his candidacy for the bishopric of Brechin.
at some point between 1405 and April 1407. On 11 April 1407 Benedict XIII instructed Henry de Wardlaw, bishop of St Andrews, and Fionnlagh MacCailein
, bishop of Dunblane
, to investigate any objections to Walter's election, perhaps on account of former hostility to Benedict's cause. He does not appear to have received consecration
until some point between 11 May 1410 and 10 May 1411.
After becoming bishop, Walter remained a prominent royal servant, continuing his duties as Clerk of the Rolls and Clerk of the Register, and enjoyed a strong relationship with the ruler of Scotland, now Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. He officiated at every exchequer audit between May 1409 and July 1422. He also continued his ambassadorial role, serving as leader of a mission to England in 1408 to negotiate the release of James I
, the nominal king. He went appears to have gone on further missions in May 1412, April 1413 and September 1413, though the evidence we have is for the grants of safe-conduct rather than the expeditions themselves. He was in Rome 1423–1424, and made a separate trip to Flanders later in 1424. After James I's return in 1424, he served once more as exchequer auditor, 7 May 1425.
Like other bishops of Brechin, Forrester does not seem to have been very active in his diocese, on several occasions obtaining papal indults legitimizing procuration
s without visitation
. He is recorded presiding over statute
s issued by his cathedral chapter
in 1410, and later in the year pursued land claims successfully with the support of Governor Albany and his sheriff in Angus. Albany granted him the second tenth of crown revenues from the sheriffdom of Kincardine
in 1413 and 1417. He was present at a provincial council of the Scottish church at Perth
on 16 July 1419. Historian D. E. R. Watt
has summarised that "though he did visit Brechin from time to time and [did] take some interest in [the] organisation and property of his see, it does not add up to much".
His appearance at the exchequer audit of May 1425 was his last in the records. By 7 June 1426, when his successor John de Crannach
was provided to the see at the papal court, he must have been dead for some time. He was probably dead by the exchequer audit of 15 April, when John de Scheves was acting as Clerk of the Rolls and Register (an indication that Bishop Forrester was no longer available to perform this office).
Bishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
, was an administrator and 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...
in later medieval Scotland
Scotland in the Late Middle Ages
Scotland in the late Middle Ages established its independence from England under figures including William Wallace in the late 13th century and Robert Bruce in the 14th century...
. Originating 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...
, he came from a family of English origin who by the end of the 14th century had become well established in Scottish society. A student of 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 University of Orleans
University of Orléans
-History:In 1230, when for a time the doctors of the University of Paris were scattered, a number of the teachers and disciples took refuge in Orléans; when pope Boniface VIII, in 1298, promulgated the sixth book of the Decretals, he appointed the doctors of Bologna and the doctors of Orléans to...
, he began his career at home by the later 1370s.
He became a royal clerk, and appears to have held the position of archdeacon of Lothian
Archdeacon of Lothian
The Archdeacon of Lothian was the head of the Archdeaconry of Lothian, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews. The position was one of the most important positions within the medieval Scottish church; because of his area's large population and high number of parish churches, the Archdeacon of...
c. 1386. After extending his education at Paris in the 1390s, he returned to Scotland to continue clerical and ambassadorial duties for the monarch, and was awarded with the bishopric of Brechin in 1407. He held this post, along with that of Clerk of the Register, until his death in either 1425 or 1426.
Origins and early education
It is known from later documents that Walter Forrester was from the diocese of BrechinDiocese 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...
, born sometime in or before 1355. The Forresters were a middle-ranking family of English origin who rose to greater prominence during Walter's lifetime. The name of his father is unrecorded, but his mother's name was Mariota or Marion. He had a brother named Patrick Forrester, a burgess of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, and a half-brother named Patrick de Dalgarnock. John Forrester, variously Archdeacon of Teviotdale
Archdeacon of Teviotdale
The Archdeacon of Teviotdale was the head of the Archdeaconry of Teviotdale, a sub-division of the Diocese of Glasgow. He was one of two archdeacons serving the Bishop of Glasgow. As the name describes, this archdeacon was responsible for the Teviotdale region of the Scottish Borders region...
, Official of Aberdeen and Official of Glasgow, and Adam Forrester, burgess of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, laird of Corstorphine
Corstorphine
Corstorphine was originally a village to the west of—and separate from—Edinburgh, Scotland, and is now a suburb of that city.Corstorphine retains a busy main street with many independent small shops, although a number have closed in recent years since the opening of several retail parks...
and one of the wealthiest merchants in contemporary Scotland, were his kinsmen, though the detail of this kinship is not recorded.
Forrester attended 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...
, graduating Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
under fellow-Scot William de Trebrun in March 1375, and becoming 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 Arts the following May. He was a student of canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
at the University of Orleans
University of Orléans
-History:In 1230, when for a time the doctors of the University of Paris were scattered, a number of the teachers and disciples took refuge in Orléans; when pope Boniface VIII, in 1298, promulgated the sixth book of the Decretals, he appointed the doctors of Bologna and the doctors of Orléans to...
c. 1375–79. He returned to Scotland by April 1379. By 12 April 1384 he was holding a canonry attached to Aberdeen Cathedral. It is likely that the prebend was the church of Mortlach, as he can be confirmed holding this church in a document datable to April 22 1392.
Clerical service and later education
Forrester began a career in the service of the Scottish monarchy, becoming Deputy Clerk of the Wardrobe in the late 1370s and Clerk of the Wardrobe by March 1381. He was Keeper of the Privy SealKeeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, one of the Great Officers of State, first appears in the reign of David II. After the Act of Union 1707 its holder was normally a peer, like the Keeper of the Great Seal...
for a short period in 1386 (filling in for Duncan Petit), and served an auditor of the exchequer from March 1386. He is found as the officiating clerk in a treaty between Scotland and France sealed at Edinburgh on 1 December 1390. On or before 11 March 1391, he resigned to other members of his family his own land at Inverdovat in Forgan parish, Fife, reserving for himself a life-interest; this perhaps indicates that he had set himself on an ecclesiastical career.
He appears as Archdeacon of Lothian
Archdeacon of Lothian
The Archdeacon of Lothian was the head of the Archdeaconry of Lothian, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews. The position was one of the most important positions within the medieval Scottish church; because of his area's large population and high number of parish churches, the Archdeacon of...
in documents from 1386, an extremely prestigious position (or claim at least) he appears to have lost by 1390, when the position is securely held by another. Other honours held before the episcopate, excluding Mortlach, include the church of Liston
Kirkliston
Kirkliston is a village and civil parish within the City of Edinburgh in Scotland. It sits on the historic route between Edinburgh and Queensferry, the gateway to Fife and the north. Today, it is bypassed by the A90...
(by November 1391), previously held by Gilbert de Greenlaw
Gilbert de Greenlaw
Gilbert de Greenlaw was a medieval Bishop of Aberdeen and Bishop-elect of St. Andrews. He was a Licentiate in the Arts, and had been a canon of Bishopric of Moray by the late 1370s, before being provided by Avignon Pope Clement VII the church of Liston in the Bishopric of St. Andrews in 1379. By...
, and the office of sub-dean of Brechin.
From early 1393 until early 1399, he appears to have resumed his studies on the continent, financed perhaps by the Scottish king. By February 1394 he had an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from Paris, and served as regent in the Arts for several years while once again studying canon law. He was a Bachelor of Decrees by July 1398. He was three times serving proctor of the English nation at Paris, March and April 1395, winter 1396/7, and Summer 1398. He was university rector between October and December 1395. Along with two Germans and one John de Edinburgh, he represented the "English nation" at the Second Council of Paris (August and September 1396), and was the nation's proctor at the Third Council (May to July 1398), meetings aimed at ending the Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
. This Council withdrew support from Pope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
("Antipope"), and there is much evidence that Forrester was an enthusiastic proponent of this position, though he later was to serve as a bishop in obedience to this pope.
Returning to Scotland in 1398, he regained his position as Clerk of the Wardrobe. At a royal council in Perth in January 1398, he was named as one of 20 assistants of the Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay
David Stewart was the heir to the throne of Scotland from 1390 and the first Duke of Rothesay from 1398. He also held the titles of Earl of Atholl and Earl of Carrick...
as lieutenant of the realm. He was exchequer auditor every year between 1399 and 1404, and was secretary of the king from either the second half of 1401 or first half of 1402, and held this position until 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...
's death in 1406. By June 1403 he was Clerk of the Rolls, a position he would hold until his death. In the first five years of the 1400s he frequently served as an ambassador to the English, and went to France in 1406, appearing at Paris in April on a committee of the English nation, a trip perhaps connected with his candidacy for the bishopric of Brechin.
Episcopate
Walter was elected bishop of BrechinBishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
at some point between 1405 and April 1407. On 11 April 1407 Benedict XIII instructed Henry de Wardlaw, bishop of St Andrews, and Fionnlagh MacCailein
Fionnlagh MacCailein
Fionnlagh MacCailein or Finlay Colini was a medieval Scottish bishop. Both his early life and the details of his career as Bishop of Dunblane are not well known, however it is known that he held the latter bishopric between 1403 and his death in 1419...
, bishop of Dunblane
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane/Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotland. The bishopric itself certainly derives from an older...
, to investigate any objections to Walter's election, perhaps on account of former hostility to Benedict's cause. He does not appear to have received consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
until some point between 11 May 1410 and 10 May 1411.
After becoming bishop, Walter remained a prominent royal servant, continuing his duties as Clerk of the Rolls and Clerk of the Register, and enjoyed a strong relationship with the ruler of Scotland, now Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. He officiated at every exchequer audit between May 1409 and July 1422. He also continued his ambassadorial role, serving as leader of a mission to England in 1408 to negotiate the release of James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, the nominal king. He went appears to have gone on further missions in May 1412, April 1413 and September 1413, though the evidence we have is for the grants of safe-conduct rather than the expeditions themselves. He was in Rome 1423–1424, and made a separate trip to Flanders later in 1424. After James I's return in 1424, he served once more as exchequer auditor, 7 May 1425.
Like other bishops of Brechin, Forrester does not seem to have been very active in his diocese, on several occasions obtaining papal indults legitimizing procuration
Procuration
Procuration is the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency. The word is applied to the authority or power delegated to a procurator, or agent, as well as to the exercise of such authority expressed frequently by procuration , or shortly per pro., or simply p.p.A common...
s without visitation
Canonical Visitation
A canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view of maintaining faith and discipline, and of correcting abuses by the application of proper remedies.-Catholic usage:...
. He is recorded presiding over statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s issued by his 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...
in 1410, and later in the year pursued land claims successfully with the support of Governor Albany and his sheriff in Angus. Albany granted him the second tenth of crown revenues from the sheriffdom of Kincardine
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
in 1413 and 1417. He was present at a provincial council of the Scottish church at Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
on 16 July 1419. Historian D. E. R. Watt
D. E. R. Watt
Donald Elmslie Robertson Watt FRSE was a Scottish historian and Professor Emeritus at St Andrews University....
has summarised that "though he did visit Brechin from time to time and [did] take some interest in [the] organisation and property of his see, it does not add up to much".
His appearance at the exchequer audit of May 1425 was his last in the records. By 7 June 1426, when his successor John de Crannach
John de Crannach
John de Crannach was a 15th century Scottish scholar, diplomat and prelate. Originating in the north-east of Lowland Scotland, he probably came from a family associated with the burgh of Aberdeen. Like many of his relatives, he flourished in the 15th-century Scottish church...
was provided to the see at the papal court, he must have been dead for some time. He was probably dead by the exchequer audit of 15 April, when John de Scheves was acting as Clerk of the Rolls and Register (an indication that Bishop Forrester was no longer available to perform this office).