The Abbot of Holyrood (later Commendator of Holyrood) was the head of the Augustinian monastic community of Holyrood Abbey, now in Edinburgh. The long history of the abbey came to a formal end in July 1606 when the parliament of Scotland turned the abbey into a secular lordship for the last commendator, John Bothwell (confirmed by charter in December 1607). The following is a list of abbots and commendators:
List of abbots
Alwin, 1128-1151 Osbert, 1151 William (I), 1152-1172 John, 1173-1178x1184 William (II), 1187x1189-1206 Walter, 1210-1217 or 1218Formerly Abbot of Inchcolm. William (III), 1217 x 1218-1221 William (IV) son of "Owin", 1221-1227 Gilbert, 1236 Elias son of Nicholas, 1227-1236 x 1253 Henry, 1236 x 1253-1255Became Bishop of Galloway. Radulf, 1253x1256-1258 Robert, 1273 x1279 William de Haddington, 1285 Adam, 1291-1299 Elias, 1309-1320 or 1321 Simon de Wedale, 1321-1327Became Bishop of Galloway. John de Cambusnethan, 1328-1339 Bartholomew, 1342 Thomas de St Andrews, ?1347-1370 John, 1370-1378 David Bell, 1379-1386 John de Leith, 1386-71415x1420 Henry de Dryden, 1420-1423 Walter Bower, 1420Possibly elected in opposition to Dryden. Bower did not push the claim, and claim was nullified in March 1432. Patrick Witherspoon (Wotherspoon), 1423-1445Formerly Prior of St Mary's Isle. William, 1425 James Cameron, 1446-1450Was prior of St Mary's Isle (1426-1446); became Prior of Whithorn in 1446 before being provided to Holyrood. Resigned in 1450. Archibald Crawford, 1450-1484 Robert Ballantyne, 1484-1500Formerly Prior of St Mary's Isle. James Stewart, 1498-1500Was Archbishop of St Andrews (1497–1504), Commendator of Dunfermline (1500-1504) and Commendator of Arbroath (1503-1504) George Crichton, 1500-1526Became Bishop of Dunkeld. William Douglas, 1526-1528 Robert Cairncross, 1528-1538Became Bishop of Ross. David Douglas, 1530-1531
List of commendators
Robert Stewart, 1539-1568Illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. Adam Bothwell, 1568-1582Also bishop of Orkney (1559-1593) John Bothwell, 1582-1606
Notes
Bibliography Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 90–1 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. 92–6
See also Holyrood Abbey