The Prior of Coldingham was the head of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastic community of

Coldingham Priory Coldingham Priory was a house of Benedictine monks. It lies on the south-east coast of Scotland, in the village of Coldingham, Berwickshire. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predec ...

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of t ...

. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of

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 ...

, although his older brother and predecessor King

Edgar of Scotland Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern Gaelic: ''Eagar mac Mhaoil Chaluim''), nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" (c. 1074 – 8 January 1107), was King of Scotland from 1097 to 1107. He was the fourth son of Malcolm III and Margaret of Wes ...

had granted the land of Coldingham to the Church of Durham in 1098, and a church was constructed by him and presented in 1100 AD. The first prior is on record by the year 1147, although an earlier foundation is almost certain. The

monastic cell A cell is a small room used by a hermit, monk, nun or anchorite to live and as a devotional space. Cells are often part of larger cenobitic monastic communities such as Catholic and Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist vihara, but may also form sta ...

was a dependent of Durham until the 1370s, and in 1378

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Robert II of Scotland Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, he was the first monarch of the House of St ...

expelled the Durham monks; for the following century the cell had two priors, one chosen by Durham and one chosen by the Scots. It became a dependent of

Dunfermline Abbey Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland Parish Church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Reforma ...

. It was subject to increasingly secular control from the late 15th century into the 16th century. The following is a list of priors and commendators:

List of priors

* Edward, fl. 1124 x 1153 * H. .. fl. 1147 x 1150 * Sampson, fl. x 1159-1161 x 1162 * Alan, fl. 1165 x 1173 * Herbert, 1172x1174-1175 * Bertram, 1188-1189 * Simon, 1189 x 1203 * Radulf, x 1203-x 1207 * Ernald, x 1207-1208 x 1211 * Thomas, 1212-1221 x * Radulf, 1218 x 1234 * Thomas de Melsonby, 1229-1234Became Prior of Durham. * Anketin, 1239-1242 * Bertram de Mediltone, 1242 x 1244 * Richard, x 1245-1247 or 1248 * Henry de Sylton, 1248-1260 * German, 1260 * Roger de Wolviston, 1263-1274 x 1276 * Henry de Horncastre, 1276-1296 * William de Midilton, 1304 * William de Gretham, 1304-1305 * Adam de Pontefract, 1309-1311 * William de Gretham, 1311-1321 * Richard de Whitworth, 1322-1325 * Adam de Pontefract, 1325-1332 *

Robert de Graystanes Robert de Graystanes (d. 1336?), also known as Robert Greystones or Robert Graystanes, was a 14th-century English Benedictine monk, an unsuccessful candidate to become bishop of Durham around 1333, and supposed chronicler of the church of Durham. ...

, 1333 * Alexander de Lamsley, 1334 * William de Scaccario, 1336 x 1337 * Alexander de Lamsley, 1338-1339 * John Fossour, 1340-1341 * Walter de Skaresbrekis, 1341-1354 * William de Bamburgh, 1355-1362 * Robert Berrington de Walworth, 1363-1374 * Robert de Claxton, 1374 x 1379

List of priors with allegiance to Durham

* Robert de Claxton, 1374-1391 * John de Ayclif, 1392-1416 * William Drax, 1418-1441 * John Oil, 1441-1447 * Thomas Nesbitt, 1447-1456 * John Pencher, 1456-1465 x 1467 * Thomas Haughton, 1467 * Thomas Wren, 1470

List of priors with allegiance to Dunfermline

* Adam de Carale, 1374 x 1379 * Michael de Inverkeithing, 1379-1389 * William Reid, 1389-1390 ** Simon Marischal, 1389 * John Steele, 1390-1402 * Alan de Lyn, 1402 * Richard Mongal, 1402-1409 * Andrew Raburn, 1409-1414 x 1418 * Robert Bowmaker, 1419 * William Brown, 1419-1430 * Stephen Bryg, 1432 * William Boyce, 1442-1445

List of prior-commendators

* Patrick Home, 1461-1478 * John Home, 1464-1503 * Ninian Home, 1501-1508 * John Home, 1509 * Alexander Stewart, 1510-1513 * David Home, 1513-1517 ** Thomas Nudre, 1514 *

Robert Blackadder Robert Blackadder was a medieval Scottish cleric, diplomat and politician, who was abbot of Melrose, bishop-elect of Aberdeen and bishop of Glasgow; when the last was elevated to archiepiscopal status in 1492, he became the first ever archbisho ...

, 1518-1519 * William Douglas, 1519 -1526 ** George Patricii, 1520 ** Patrick Blackadder of Tulliallan, 1521 -1525 ** Andrew Home, 1522 ** John Forman, 1523 * Adam Blackadder, 1523-1541 *

John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham (1531–1563) was a Scottish landowner. He was a son of Elizabeth Carmichael (1514–1550) and James V of Scotland. His mother later married John Somerville of Cambusnethan. Career As a child, John Stewar ...

, 1541-1563 * Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell, 1565-1567Was two years old. *

John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane (1537 – 3 October 1595), of Lethington, Knight (1581), was Lord Chancellor of Scotland. Life He was the second son of Sir Richard Maitland of Thirlestane, Berwickshire, and Lethington, Haddi ...

, 1567-1571 * Alexander Home I enior 1570 * Alexander Home II unior 1571-1587 * Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell (again), 1584-1590 * John Stewart, 1589-1592 *

Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home Sir Alexander Home of that Ilk, 1st Lord Home ( – ) was in 1448 Sheriff Deputy for Berwickshire, and was made a Lord of Parliament on 2 August 1473. He is an ancestor of the Earls of Home. Family Alexander Home's father, Sir Alexander Home of t ...

, 1592-1606

Notes

References