The Bishop of the Isles or Bishop of Sodor was the ecclesiastical head of the

Diocese of the Isles The Diocese of the Isles, also known as the Diocese of Suðreyar, or the Diocese of Sodor, was one of the dioceses of medieval Norway. After the mid-13th-century Treaty of Perth, the diocese was accounted as one of the 13 dioceses of Scotland ...

(or Sodor), one of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, encompassing both the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebr ...

and Mann, probably traces its origins as an ecclesiastical unity to the careers of Olaf, King of the Isles, and Bishop

Wimund Wimund was a bishop who became a seafaring warlord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his ''Historia rerum anglicarum'', Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bisho ...

. Previously, there had been numerous bishoprics, and recorded bishoprics include

Kingarth Kingarth ( sga, Cenn Garad; gd, Ceann a' Gharaidh) is a historic village and parish on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of south-western Scotland. The village is within the parish of its own name, and is situated at the junction of the A844 and ...

, Iona, Skye and Mann. There were very likely numerous others.

List of precursor bishoprics

List of known bishops of Iona

List of known bishops of Cenn Garad

Kingarth was a church on the

Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute ( sco, Buit; gd, Eilean Bhòid or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent is ...

, supposedly founded by

Saint Chattan Saint Cathan, also known as Catan, Cattan, etc., was a 6th-century Irish monk revered as a saint in parts of the Scottish Hebrides. Source Material This Saint appears in the ''Aberdeen Breviary'', Walter Bower's ''Scotichronicon'', and the ''A ...

and

Saint Blane Saint Blane (Old Irish ''Bláán'', died 590) was a bishop and confessor in Scotland, born on the Isle of Bute, date unknown; died 590. His feast is kept on 10 August. Late (medieval) Scottish texts relate that his mother was Irish and that Sai ...

. Three abbots are known, but only two bishops. Sadly, little is known about the abbey, bishopric and individual clerics.

List of known bishops of Mann

Bishops of the Isles

List of known bishops of Isles (including Mann)

The list of bishops known to have ruled the whole of what became the Diocese of the Isles (Sodor). }. A native of

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or ...

. Blind at his death in 1303. , - valign=top , 1303 x 1305–1322, , Alan, , gd, Ailean. Died in office. , - valign=top , 1324–1326 x 1327, , ''Gilbert Maclellan'', , gd, Giolla-Brighde Mac Giolla-Faoláin. A native of

. Died in office. , - valign=top , - valign=top , 1327 x 1328–1328 x 1331, , Bernard of Kilwinning, , , - valign=top , 1331, , ''Cormac Cormacii'', , gd, Cormac Mac Chormaic. Elected by canons of Skye, but does not appear to have obtained confirmation. , - valign=top , 1331–1348, , Thomas de Rossy, , , - valign=top , 1349–1374, , William Russell, , , - valign=top , 1374–1387/1392, ,

John Dongan John Dongan ''Donegan, Donnegan, Donkan, Duncan(died 1413) was a medieval Manx prelate. After holding the position of Archdeacon of Down, he held three successive bishoprics, Mann and the Isles (Sodor), then the see of Derry and lastly, ...

, , Deprived of bishopric in 1387 by Scottish-backed

Avignon Pope Clement VII Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI, was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election le ...

. Continued in English-controlled Mann until 1392, but from 1387 onwards the diocese has permanently split into two parts.

List of bishops of the Isles (excluding Mann)

The bishopric of the Isles became divided, primarily because the see became divided between the kings of England and Scotland. The English had taken over Mann, leaving the other islands to the north under Scottish overlordship. }. , - valign=top , 1441–1467 x 1472, , John Hectoris MacGilleon, , gd, Eóin Mac Gill-Eathain. , - valign=top , 1472–1479 x 1480, , Angus ''(II.)'', , gd, Aonghas. , - valign=top , 1487–1490, , John Campbell ''(I.)'', , gd, Eóin Caimbeul. , - valign=top , 1510–1513, , George Hepburn, , , - valign=top , 1514–1532, , John Campbell ''(II.)'', , gd, Eóin Caimbeul. Received papal provision but never paid for it, so had still not been confirmed when he resigned his right to Fearchar Mac Eachainn in 1528 and in 1532. , - valign=top , nom. 1529, , ''James Stewart'', , The

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 ...

, nominated unsuccessfully by the crown. , - valign=top , 1528–1544 x 1546, , Ferchar MacEachan, , gd, Fearchar Mac Eachainn, also recorded as Fearchar/Ferquhard "MacCachane" and "Hecotris". , - valign=top , 1544–1552 x 1553, ,

Roderick MacLean Roderick Edward Maclean ( – 8 June 1921) was a Scotsman who attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria on 2 March 1882, at Windsor, England, with a pistol. This was the last of eight attempts by separate people to kill or assault Victoria over a ...

, , gd, Ruaidhri Mac Gill-Eathain. , - valign=top , 1545–1546, , ''Roderick MacAllister'', , gd, Ruaidhri Mac Alasdair. Candidate of

Domhnall Dubh Domhnall Dubh (died 1545) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald (Clann Domhnaill), and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross (Eoin MacD ...

. , - valign=top , 1547, , ''John Hay'', , Names occurs as "postulate of Sodor" in English source dating 1547. Nothing else known. , - valign=top , 1547–1552, , ''Patrick Maclean'', , gd, Padraig Mac Gill-Eain. , - valign=top , 1554–1559, ,

Alexander Gordon Alexander Gordon may refer to: * Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly (died 1470), Scottish magnate * Alexander Gordon (bishop of Aberdeen) (died 1518), Precentor of Moray and Bishop-elect of Aberdeen * Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (died ...

, , Nominal

Archbishop of Athens The Archbishopric of Athens ( el, Ιερά Αρχιεπισκοπή Αθηνών) is a Greek Orthodox archiepiscopal see based in the city of Athens, Greece. It is the senior see of Greece, and the seat of the autocephalous Church of Greece. It ...

. , - valign=top , 1557–1560 x 1562, , John Campbell ''(III.)'', , gd, Eóin Caimbeul. , - valign=top , nom. 1564 x 1565 , , ''Patrick Maclean'' (again), , gd, Padraig Mac Gill-Eathain. Transferred his nomination to Séon Carsuel in exchange for pension. , - valign=top , 1565–1572, ,

Séon Carsuel Séon Carsuel (Anglicized: ''John Carswell'', modern Scottish Gaelic: ''Seon Carsuail''; c. 1522 – 1572) was a 16th-century Scottish prelate, humanist, and Protestant reformer. Born early in the century, when Carsuel completed his educat ...

, , Anglicised: ''John Carswell''. , - valign=top , 1567, , ''Lachlan Maclean'', , gd, Lachlann Mac Gill-Eathain. Obtained provision in secret from

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

. Transferred his rights to Carswell. , - valign=top , 1572–1592 x 1594, , John Campbell ''(III.)'' (again), , gd, Eóin Caimbeul. , - valign=top , 1605–1618 x 1619, , Andrew Knox, , Translated to Raphoe in 1610, but retained The Isles until 1618/19. , - valign=top , 1619–1627 x 1628, , Thomas Knox, , , - valign=top , 1628–1633, , John Leslie, , Translated to Raphoe. , - valign=top , 1634–1638, , Neil Campbell, , gd, Niall Caimbeul. , - valign=top , 1638–1662, , colspan="2" , - valign=top , 1662–1669, , Robert Wallace, , Died in office. , - valign=top , 1674–1676, , James Ramsay, , Translated from

Dunblane Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...

on 28 July 1674. Translated back to Dunblane in April 1676. , - valign=top , 1677–1680, , Andrew Wood, , Translated to Caithness in 1680. , - valign=top , 1680–1689, , Archibald Graham, , , - valign=top , colspan="3"

Notes

References

* Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Early Sources of Scottish History: AD 500–1286'', 2 Vols, (Edinburgh, 1922). * Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers: AD 500–1286'', (London, 1908), republished, Marjorie Anderson (ed.) (Stamford, 1991) * * * Oram, Richard, ''The Lordship of Galloway'', (Edinburgh, 2000) * Watt, D. E. R., "Bishops in the Isles before 1203: Bibliography and Biographical Lists", in ''The Innes Review'', Volume 45, 1994, pp. 99–119 *

External links

Annals of the Four Masters
*

*

{{Scottish Church History of the Scottish Highlands History of the Inner Hebrides Iona Christianity in the Isle of Man Religion in the Outer Hebrides Religion in Argyll and Bute Religion in Highland (council area) People associated with Highland (council area) * History of the Outer Hebrides Pre-Reformation bishops in Scotland