Alpín of Strathearn was late 13th century Scottish prelate and graduate of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continu ...

. The description of him as being of "noble birth" and his appellation ''de Stratherne'' indicate he was probably from the kin-group of the

mormaers of Strathearn Earl or Mormaer of Strathearn is a title of Scottish nobility, referring to the region of Strathearn in southern Perthshire. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mor ...

. His date of birth is not known, but he appeared in

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, where there was a

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, in 1278, described as ''dominus'' (

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

) and Archdeacon of St Andrews, and by 1287 he is styled ''magister'', indicating the completion of a university degree. He had probably been an Archdeacon since 1273, but had resigned this sometime before 4 August 1279. He became a

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Dunblane Cathedral Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland. The lower half of the tower is pre- Romanesque from the 11th century, and was originally free-standi ...

, certainly by 1287 when he is back in Scotland. He acted as an official of St Andrews in the early 1290s, supported the accession of

John Balliol John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...

after the

Great Cause When the crown of Scotland became vacant in September 1290 on the death of the seven-year-old Queen Margaret, 13 claimants to the throne came forward. Those with the most credible claims were John Balliol, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, ...

and took a role in his government. As a canon of Dunblane he was elected

Bishop of Dunblane The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane or Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotla ...

by ''compromissarii'' sometime after 4 May 1295. He was consecrated at

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on 16 October 1296. His absence from the country at this time allowed him to escape paying direct homage to King

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...

, who deposed King John in this year and imposed direct rule on Scotland by the English crown. His activities after this are unclear. He is not known directly to have returned to Scotland, but is known to have paid money to the papal chamber in 1299. The latter is the last act which can be traced from him. His death date is unknown specifically, but probably did take place before 15 October 1301, because by which time his successor Nicholas was acting as bishop-elect.

References

* Watt, D. E. R., ''A Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Graduates to A. D. 1410'', (Oxford, 1977), pp. 521–2 * Watt, D. E. R., ''Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638'', 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969), pp. 76, 305, 323 {{DEFAULTSORT:Alpin of Strathearn 13th-century births Bishops of Dunblane 13th-century Scottish Roman Catholic bishops Medieval Gaels from Scotland Year of death uncertain