The Abbot and then Commendator of Melrose was the head of the monastic community of Melrose Abbey, in Melrose in the Borders region of Scotland. The abbots of the earlier Northumbrian foundation from Lindisfarne are not included here. The second abbey was founded in 1136 on the patronage of David I (Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim), King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire. Control of the abbey was secularized in the 16th century and after the accession of James Stewart, the abbey was held by commendators. The last commendator, James Douglas of Lochleven, resigned the abbacy to William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton (his nephew) in December 1606, and the abbey itself to the king in 1608. The abbey (or most of its lands) was then erected into a secular lordship for viscount Haddington, John Ramsay, who in 1609 was created "Lord Melrose".Ian B. Cowan, & David E. Easson, Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), p. 77. Lochleven however resumed the title of commendator in 1613 until his death in 1620.
List of Abbots Richard,Newbattle founded during abbacy; deposed 1148. 1136-1148He resigned in 1148, and was not deposed by the Abbot of Rievaulx; he died at Clairvaux in 1149. St. Waltheof,Previously Sacrist of Rievaulx. 1148-1159Holmcultram & Kinloss abbeys founded during abbacy; died 3 August 1159 William, 1159-1170Coupar Angus Abbey founded; resigned, April 1170. Jocelin, 1170-1174Elected Bishop of Glasgow, 23 May 1174; retained abbacy until consecration to bishopric in May 1175 Laurence, 1175-1178A Melrose monk, formerly abbot of some short-lived cistercian foundation in Orkney; elected May 1174; died January 1179. Ernald, 1179-89Abbot from January 1179; in March 1189, elected as Abbot of Rievaulx. Reiner,Formerly Abbot of Kinloss 1189-94Resigned Melrose in 1194. Radulf (I),Formerly Abbot of Kinloss. 1194-1202In 1202, elected Bishop of Down in Ireland. William,Formerly Abbot of Coupar Angus. 1202-06 Patrick,Formerly sub-prior of the convent. 1206-07 Adam, 1207-13Made Bishop of Caithness in 1213. Hugh de Clipstone, 1214-15Elected May 1214; resigned at Citeaux in November 1215. William de Courcy, 1215-6Promoted to the abbacy of Rievaulx. Radulf II,Former cellarer. 1216-1219Died 1219. Adam de Harkarres,Formerly Abbot of Newbattle. 1219-46Succeeded on 6 August; 15th Abbot. Died probably in 1246. Matthew,Former cellarer of Melrose. 1246-61One authority claims that he resigned because of infirmity (at Melrose) on 24 July 1261, while another claims that he was deposed at Rievaulx by the Abbot of Rievaulx. Adam of Maxton,Formerly Abbot of Newbattle. 1261-67Deposed by the General Cistercian Chapter, 1267. John de Edrom (or Ederham), 1267-68 x 69Excommunicated by council of Scottish church in 1268; resigned 1268x69. Robert de Keldeleth,Former monk of Newbattle, Abbot of Dunfermline and Chancellor of Scotland. 1269-73 Patrick de Selkirk, 1273–96 ???Although the First Scottish War of Independence was taking place at this time, the length of "vacancy" nevertheless implies that at least one person held the abbacy post between 1296 and 1310. William de Fogo, 1310–1329 Thomas de Soutra, 1333 x 1335-x1342 William de St Andrews, 1342–1376 Gilbert de Roxburgh, 1391–1392 David Benyng (or Binning), 1394–1422 John Fogo, 1425–1434 Richard Londy (or Lundy), 1440–1444 Andrew Hunter, 1444-1465One source mentions an abbot called William for 2 June 1460, but this looks like it's probably a mistake. Robert Blackadder, 1471–1483 Richard Lamb, 1472-1483Was elected by the brethren and received recognition from the bishop of Glasgow; Blackadder had had the abbacy reserved to him without taking up the monastic habit, but by 1476 resigned his claim, probably in return for a pension. Lamb contracted leprosy a few years before his death. John Brown (or Carnecorss), 1483–1486 ???, 1486Died soon after election; name unknown. ???, 1486 David Brown, 1486-1507/10 Bernard Bell, rival to David Brown, 1486–1503 William Turnbull, rival to David Brown, 1503-1507Became Abbot of Coupar Angus. Robert Betoun,Formerly Abbot of Glenluce and then Abbot of Coupar Angus, which he exchanged with Turnbull for his claims to Melrose. 1507/10-1521 x 1524 John Maxwell,Formerly Abbot of Dundrennan. 1524-1526 Andrew Durie, 1525-1541Became Bishop of Galloway.
List of Commendators James Stewart,Aged 14; was already Commendator of Kelso; he was an illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland, but not James Stewart. 1535-1557 Louis de Guise,Became Commendator of Melrose and Kelso after the death of James Stewart until 1559. 1558-1559 James Balfour, 1559–1564 Michael Balfour, 1564–1568 James Douglas of Lochleven,Second son of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton. 1569-1620
Notes
Bibliography Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 76–77 Fawcett, Richard, & Oram, Richard, Melrose Abbey, (Stroud, 2004) Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries (The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24), (Edinburgh, 2001), pp. 149–55