Gregoir of Moray ''Giric, Gregoryis the first attested Bishop of Moray. His name (with his See) occur in witness lists in two charters. The first is the witness list appended to a charter of King

Alexander I of Scotland Alexander I ( medieval Gaelic: ''Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim''; modern Gaelic: ''Alasdair mac Mhaol Chaluim''; c. 1078 – 23 April 1124), posthumously nicknamed The Fierce, was the King of Scotland from 1107 to his death. He succeeded his broth ...

defining the legal powers held by

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component ...

. This charter cannot date to before the year 1123/1124 - because another of the witnesses is "

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, Bishop Elect of St. Andrews". - but may in fact date to the year 1114. The second dates to 1128, and is a confirmation by King

David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son of Mal ...

of the rights held by the church of Dunfermline. The name "Bishop Gregoir" (without See) also occurs in the foundation charter of Scone Priory. This charter was dated by Sir Archibald Lawrie to 1120, but there is good evidence to believe that the foundation of Scone may have happened as early as 1114.See Kenneth Veitch, ""Replanting Paradise":Alexander I and the Reform of Religious Life in Scotland", in ''The Innes Review'', 52, (Autumn,2001), pp. 140–6, for arguments about the date 1114. Gregoir,

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of Moray, is the most likely candidate for the "Bishop Gregoir" of the charter because he is chronologically the closest Gregoir otherwise known, and because Gregoir of Moray explicitly witnessed a later Scone-related charter.

Notes

References

*Dowden, John, ''The Bishops of Scotland'', ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912) *Lawrie, Sir Archibald, ''Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153'', (Glasgow, 1905) *Veitch, Kenneth, ""Replanting Paradise":Alexander I and the Reform of Religious Life in Scotland", in ''The Innes Review'', 52, (Autumn,2001), pp. 136–166

External links

Dauvit Broun's list of 12th century Scottish Bishops
{{Authority control 11th-century births 12th-century deaths Bishops of Moray Medieval Gaels from Scotland People from Moray 12th-century Scottish Roman Catholic bishops