Bishop of Galloway

The Bishop of Galloway, also called the Bishop of Whithorn, is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Galloway, said to have been founded by Saint Ninian in the mid-5th century. The subsequent Anglo-Saxon bishopric was founded in the late 7th century or early 8th century, and the first known bishop was one Pehthelm, "shield of the Picts". According to Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical tradition, the bishopric was founded by Saint Ninian, a later corruption of the British name Uinniau or Irish Finian; although there is no contemporary evidence, it is quite likely that there had been a British or Hiberno-British bishopric before the Anglo-Saxon takeover. After Heathored (fl. 833), no bishop is known until the apparent resurrection of the diocese in the reign of King Fergus of Galloway. The bishops remained, uniquely for Scottish bishops, the suffragans of the Archbishop of York until 1359 when the pope released the bishopric from requiring metropolitan assent.Barrell, Medieval Scotland, p. 241 James I formalised the admission of the diocese into the Scottish church on 26 August 1430 and just as all Scottish sees, Whithorn was to be accountable directly to the pope.Watt & Murray, Fasti, p. 168 The diocese was placed under the metropolitan jurisdiction of St Andrews on 17 August 1472 and then moved to the province of Glasgow on 9 January 1492. The diocese disappeared during the Scottish Reformation, but was recreated by the Catholic Church in 1878 with its cathedra at Dumfries, although it is now based at Ayr.

Pre-Reformation bishops

List of known Anglo-Saxon bishops of Whithorn

TenureIncumbentNotes731 – 735PehthelmDied in office.d. 762 x 764Frithwaldd. 776 x 777Pehtwinebp. 777Æthelberht of WhithornWas translated to the bishopric of Hexham around 789.790 – c. 803BeadwulfLast known Bishop of the Northumbrian era. Source(s): Heathored is described as the successor to Beadwulf by some accounts. His inclusion on the list as a Bishop of Whithorn is not credible.

List of known bishops of Galloway/Whithorn Tenure (an "x" between two years indicates a range of possible starting or ending dates) IncumbentNotes1128–1154Gille Aldan1154–1186Christian of Whithorn1189–1209John of Whithorn1209–1235Walter of Whithorn1235–1253Gilbert of Glenluce1235Odo Ydonc (bishop-elect)Elected in opposition to Gilbert, lost litigation and therefore was never consecrated, and never took possession of see.1253–1293Henry of Holyrood1294–1324 x 1326Thomas de KirkcudbrightAlso called Thomas de Dalton and Thomas de Galloway.1326–1355Simon de WedalePreviously Abbot of Holyrood.1355–1358 x 1359Michael MacKenlagh1358 x 1359–1362 x 1363Thomas MacDowell (bishop-elect)1363–1378Adam de Lanarkel. 1378x1379; cons. 1379Oswald of GlenluceAnti-Bishop of the Western Schism. Consecrated with the support of the Archbishop of York and Pope Urban VI, in opposition to the other Galloway bishops, who were supporter of the Avignon Pope. Never took possession of see.1378 x 1379Ingram de KetenisReceived papal provision, but refused to accept the position.1379–1393 x 1394Thomas de Rossy1409–1412 x 1415Elisaeus Adougan1412 x 1415Gilbert Cavan (bishop-elect)Antipope Benedict XIII rejected his election in favour of Thomas de Buittle.1415–1422 x 1422Thomas de Buittle1422–1450Alexander VausPreviously Bishop of Caithness.1450–1457/8Thomas SpensTranslated to the Bishopric of Aberdeen in 1457.1457Thomas VausDean of Glasgow, provided to bishopric on translation of Spens to Aberdeen in 1457; as this translation was not effective, and had to be repeated in 1458, but Vaus' provision was not repeated.1458–1480 x 1482Ninian Spot1482–1508George Vaus1508–1509James BeatonBecame Archbishop of Glasgow.1509–1526David Arnot1526–1541Henry Wemyss1541–1558Andrew Durie1559–1560Alexander GordonFormerly Archbishop of Glasgow (1550–51), titular Archbishop of Athens (1551–53) and Bishop of the Isles (1553–59); appointed Bishop of Galloway by the Holy See in 1559; he became a Protestant when the Church of Scotland broke links with the Roman Catholic Church in 1560. Source(s):

Post-Reformation bishops

Church of Scotland succession TenureIncumbentNotes1560–1575Alexander GordonDied in office1575–1586John GordonRoger Gordon got crown provision and a mandate for consecration, but never actually seems to have taken control of the see. John Gordon resigned in 1586 in favour of his brother George.1578–1579 × 1587Roger GordonGot crown provision in 1578, but does not appear to have been able to oust John Gordon.1586–1588George Gordon1588–1605See vacantDue to hostility to episcopacy in Scotland, there was a lull in appointing new bishops in this period, though no bishops in possession were deposed.1605–1612Gavin Hamilton1612–1619William Couper1619–1634Andrew LambTranslated from the bishopric of Brechin.1635–1638Thomas SydserfAlong with every other bishop in Scotland, he was deprived of his bishopric in 1638. He became bishop of Orkney in 1661 after The Restoration and the renewal of episcopacy. He died in 1663.1638–1661See abolished The episcopacy was abolished in Scotland for this period.1661–1674James HamiltonFirst bishop after the renewal of episcopacy.1676–1679John PatersonTranslated to the bishopric of Edinburgh.1679Arthur RosePreviously Bishop of Argyll. He was translated to the Archbishopric of Glasgow, and later became Archbishop of St Andrews.1680–1687James AitkenPrevious Bishop of Moray. Resided mostly in Edinburgh.1687/8–1689John GordonDeprived of the temporalities in 1689 when episcopacy was permanently abolished in the Church of Scotland following the Glorious Revolution. Source(s):

Scottish Episcopal Church succession {| class="wikitable" |- align=left ! width="25%"|Tenure ! width="35%"|Incumbent ! width="40%"|Notes |- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |1689–1697|| John Gordon||After the Glorious Revolution, he continued as a nonjuring bishop until resigned the see in 1697. Later converted to Roman Catholicism and took the name James Clement Gordon. |- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |1697–1731 ||colspan=2|See administered by the bishops of Edinburgh|- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |1731–1733 || David Freebairn||Also Primus (1731–1738) and Bishop of Edinburgh (1733–1739) |- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |1733–1837 ||colspan=2|See administered by the bishops of Edinburgh|- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |colspan=3|In 1837, the see became part of the united bishopric of Glasgow and Galloway|- valign=top bgcolor="#ffffec" |align=center colspan=3| Source(s):

Roman Catholic bishops (from 1878) The modern Bishop of Galloway is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh.

The Roman Catholic diocese was established on 4 March 1878 from the Vicariate Apostolic of the Western District. The church of Saint Andrew in Dumfries served as pro-cathedral until it was destroyed by a fire in May 1961 and the seat moved to Ayr in 1962. The diocese covers an area of 9,332 km². The see is in the Ecclesiastical City of Ayr. Until 2007 the seat was located at the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd which was built in 1957. In early 2007 Pope Benedict XVI accepted the petition of Right Reverend John Cunningham, the 7th Bishop of Galloway, to move the seat to St Margaret's Church, Ayr. After this took place, the Church of the Good Shepherd was closed and largely demolished.

(Any dates appearing in italics indicate de facto continuation of office. The start date of tenure below is the date of appointment or succession. Where known, the date of installation and ordination as bishop are listed in the notes together with the post held prior to appointment.) TenureIncumbentNotes22 March 1878 to 16 January 1893John McLachlanPriest; ordained 23 May 1878; died in office16 June 1893 to 19 January 1914William TurnerPriest; ordained 25 July 1893; died in office25 May 1914 to 24 December 1943James McCarthyPriest; ordained 9 June 1914; died in office24 December 1943 to 2 February 1952William MellonCoadjutor Bishop of Galloway; died in office19 July 1952 to 4 April 1981Joseph McGeePriest;ordained 11 November 1952; retired4 April 1981 to 7 April 2004Maurice TaylorPriest; ordained 9 June 1981; retired7 April 2004 to 22 November 2014John CunninghamPriest; ordained 28 May 2004; retired22 November 2014 to 2022William NolanPriest; ordained 22 February 2015; became Archbishop of Glasgow22 December 2023Francis DouganPriest; ordained 9 March 2024. Source(s):

Bishop of Galloway

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