Alexander Gordon (died 1518) was a late medieval Scottish churchman. He was member of the kindred of the

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existin ...

, being cousin to the reigning earl. He was the third son of James Gordon,

Laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...

of Haddo.Keith, ''Historical Catalogue'', p. 119.

Career

From at least 1504, probably earlier, until 1516, he was

Precentor A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...

( chanter) of the

diocese of Moray The Diocese of Moray was one of the most important of the medieval dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. Its territory was in central northern Scotland. History It was founded in the early years of the 12th century by David I ...

.Watt, ''Fasti Ecclesiae'', p. 225. From 1507 until he became Bishop of Aberdeen in 1514 he was the

Keeper 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. The office has re ...

. After the death of

William Elphinstone William Elphinstone (143125 October 1514) was a Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen. Biography He was born in Glasgow. His father, also William Elphinstone, later became the first Dean of the Fa ...

(d. 24 October 1514), the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

s of Aberdeen prepared to elect a successor. According to later tradition,

Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (died 1524) was a Scottish nobleman. He was a member of Parliament, a member of the Privy Council, a regent and Lieutenant of the kingdom. Biography He was the son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly and hi ...

, arrived and pressured the canons to elect his own cousin, the Precentor of Moray. Meanwhile, at Rome

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

had provided Robert Forman, dean of Glasgow, to the vacant see, while at the same time the

Duke of Albany Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish and later the British royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. History The Dukedom of Albany was first granted ...

had nominated one James Ogilvie, who quickly became

Abbot of Dryburgh The Abbot of Dryburgh (later, Commendator 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 pa ...

instead. Forman was persuaded by his brother

Andrew Forman Andrew Forman (11 March 1521) was a Scottish people, Scottish diplomat and prelate who became Bishop of Moray in 1501, Archbishop of Bourges in France, in 1513, Archbishop of St Andrews in 1514 as well as being Commendator of several monasteries ...

Archbishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...

, to yield his claim to Gordon upon the promise of the next vacancy.

Death

He died on 30 June 1518.Innes, ''Registrum'', p. lii; Watt, ''Fasti Ecclesiae'', p. 3. It is possible that he eventually received the ritual of consecration, though it is not very likely, although he was clearly ruling bishop for 3 years or over.

References

Sources

* Dowden, John, ''The Bishops of Scotland'', ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912) * Innes, Cosmo, ''Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis: Ecclesie Cathedralis Aberdonensis Regesta Que Extant in Unum Collecta'', Vol. 1, (Edinburgh, 1845) *Keith, Robert, ''An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688'', (London, 1924) * Watt, D.E.R., ''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638'', 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Alexander 15th-century births 1518 deaths Bishops of Aberdeen People from Aberdeenshire