Thomas Rattray (1684–1743) was a Scottish Episcopal bishop who served as the Primus of the

Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...

from 1738 to 1743. He was chosen as

Bishop of Brechin The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or angus, Scotland, Angus, based at Dundee. Brechin Cathedral, Brechin is a parish church of the established (presbyterian) Church of Scotland. The diocese had a long-es ...

by the clergy of that diocese, in opposition to

John Ochterlony John Ochterlony, MA (1667–1742) was an Anglican clergyman who served in the Scottish Episcopal Church as the Bishop of Brechin from 1731 to 1742. Biography He was consecrated a college bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church on 4 June 1727 ...

who was the choice of the

college of bishops College of Bishops, also known as the Ordo of Bishops, is a term used in the Catholic Church to denote the collection of those bishops who are in communion with the Pope. Under Canon Law, a college is a collection (Latin collegium) of persons un ...

. He was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

on 4 June 1727 by Primus Millar and bishops Gadderar and

Cant Cant, CANT, canting, or canted may refer to: Language * Cant (language), a secret language * Beurla Reagaird, a language of the Scottish Highland Travellers * Scottish Cant, a language of the Scottish Lowland Travellers * Shelta or the Cant, a lan ...

, but the college of bishops contended that Rattray's consecration had been irregular and uncanonical. The matter was not resolved until he was appointed

Bishop of Dunkeld The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Cormac. However, the first k ...

in 1731. He was also elected the Primus in July 1738. He died in office on 12 May 1743, aged 59.

References

1684 births 1743 deaths Bishops of Brechin (Episcopalian) Bishops of Dunkeld (Episcopal Church of Scotland) 18th-century Scottish Episcopalian bishops Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church {{UK-bishop-stub