List article of bishops of the Scottish church
TheBishop of Aberdeen (originallyBishop of Mortlach , in LatinMurthlacum ) was the ecclesiastical head of theDiocese of Aberdeen , one of Scotland's 13medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric namedNechtan . It appears that the episcopal seat had previously been atMortlach (Mòrthlach), but was moved toAberdeen during the reign of KingDavid I of Scotland . The names of three bishops of Mortlach are known, the latter two of whom, "Donercius" and "Cormauch" (Cormac), by name only. The Bishop of Aberdeen broke communion with theRoman Catholic Church after theScottish Reformation . Following theRevolution of 1688 , the office was abolished in theChurch of Scotland , but continued in theScottish Episcopal Church . ARoman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen was recreated in 1878.
Pre-Reformation bishops [ edit ] List of known bishops of Mortlach [ edit ] Bishops of Mortlach Tenure Incumbent Notes fl. 1012 Beóán of Mortlach One of the four known bishops of Mortlach. Known from other sources. c. 1000s (decade) "Donercius " One of the four known bishops of Mortlach. Nothing more is known. c. 1000s (decade) Cormac of Mortlach One of the four known bishops of Mortlach. Nothing more is known. fl. 1131/2 Nechtan of Aberdeen Became first Bishop of Aberdeen in April 1132 Source(s):[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
List of known bishops of Aberdeen [ edit ] The Bishopric of Aberdeen, as the Bishopric of Aberdeen, appears to date from the 1130s, as does the list of known bishops.
Pre-Reformation Bishops of Aberdeen From Until Incumbent Notes fl. 1131/2 Nechtan of Aberdeen Previously Bishop of Mortlach, moved to Aberdeen April 1132. fl. 1147/51-1171 Edward of Aberdeen 1172 1199 Matthew 1199 1207 John of Kelso 1207 1228 Adam de Kald 1228 1229 Matthew the Scot (bishop-elect) Matthew or Mata had been the chancellor ofWilliam the Lion , King of Scots. He was postulated to the see of Aberdeen, before in turn being postulated to the higher ranking see ofDunkeld . At any rate, he died before consecration. His name indicates that he was aGael , but we do not know anything else about his background. 1228 1239 Gilbert de Stirling 1239 1247 Radulf de Lamley 1247 1256 Peter de Ramsay 1256 1270/2 Richard de Potton 1272 1281/2 Hugh de Benin 1282 1328 Henry le Chen 1329 Walter Herok (bishop-elect) He died at Avignon, perhaps before being consecrated. 1329 1343/4 Alexander de Kininmund (I.) 1344 1350 William de Deyn 1350 1354/5 John de Rait 1355 1380 Alexander de Kininmund (II.) 1380 Simon de Ketenis (bishop-elect) Elected by chapter sometime after 31 August, but was provided instead asDean of Aberdeen on 18 November 1380. 1380 1389 Adam de Tyninghame 1389 1421 Gilbert de Greenlaw 1422 1440 Henry de Lichton Translated fromMoray . 1441 1458 Ingram Lindsay 1458 1480 Thomas Spens Translated fromGalloway . 1480 1483 Robert Blackadder (bishop-elect) Translated to Galloway. 1483 1514 William Elphinstone Translated fromRoss ; he is one of the greatest of all medieval Scottish bishops, and is remembered today for, among other things, founding theUniversity of Aberdeen . 1514/5 1518 Alexander Gordon bef. 1515 1516 Robert Forman Provided by Pope, but resigned without ever possessing. 1518 1532 Gavin Dunbar 1529 1531 George Learmond (coadjutor bishop only) Learmond had been appointed Dunbar's successor in 1529, but he died before Dunbar did. 1532 1545 William Stewart 1545 1577 William Gordon Because of theScottish Reformation of 1560, he was the last bishop owing allegiance to Rome. Source(s):[ 1] [ 4] [ 5]
Post-Reformation bishops [ edit ] Church of Scotland succession [ edit ] Scottish Episcopal Church succession [ edit ] Restored Roman Catholic succession [ edit ] (Any dates appearing in italics indicatede 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.)
The modern Bishop of Aberdeen is theOrdinary of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen in theProvince of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh . The diocese covers 29,068 km2 . Thesee is in theCity of Aberdeen where the seat is located at theCathedral Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption . TheApostolic Vicariate of the Northern District (formerly the Apostolic Vicariate of the Highland District) was elevated to diocese status on 4 March 1878. The current bishop is the Right ReverendHugh Gilbert
Vicars Apostolic of the Highland District From Until Incumbent Notes 16 September 1727 19 September 1727 FatherAlexander John Grant Died in office. 12 February 1731 12 March 1773 BishopHugh MacDonald Priest; died in office. 12 March 1773 9 May 1779 BishopJohn MacDonald Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; died in office. 30 September 1779 9 September 1791 BishopAlexander MacDonald Priest; died in office. 8 November 1791 8 July 1814 BishopJohn Chisholm Priest; died in office. 8 July 1814 31 July 1818 BishopAeneas Chisholm Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; died in office. 27 August 1819 13 February 1827 BishopRanald MacDonald Became Vicar Apostolic of the Western District. Vicars Apostolic of the Northern District From Until Incumbent Notes 13 February 1827 23 February 1869 BishopJames Kyle Priest; died in office 23 February 1869 15 March 1878 BishopJohn MacDonald Previously coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; becameBishop of Aberdeen . Roman Catholic Bishops of Aberdeen From Until Incumbent Notes 15 March 1878 4 February 1889 John MacDonald PreviouslyVicar Apostolic of the Northern District ; died in office. 16 July 1889 26 September 1889 Colin Grant Priest; ordained 13 August 1889; died in office. 14 August 1890 29 May 1898 Hugh MacDonald Priest of theCongregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ; ordained 23 October 1890; died in office. 7 January 1899 13 January 1918 Aeneas Chisholm Priest; ordained 24 February 1899; died in office. 18 June 1918 25 December 1946 George Bennett Priest; ordained 1 August 1918; died in office. 2 August 1947 5 July 1950 John Matheson Priest; ordained 24 September 1947; died in office. 20 June 1951 22 July 1963 Francis Walsh Priest of theMissionaries of Africa (White Fathers) ; ordained 12 September 1951; resigned. 8 December 1964 28 May 1976 Michael Foylan Priest; ordained 25 March 1965; died in office. 28 February 1977 15 January 2002 Mario Conti Priest of Aberdeen; ordained 3 May 1977; translated toGlasgow . 13 October 2003 4 June 2011 Peter Moran Priest of Aberdeen; ordained 1 December 2003; resigned 4 June 2011. 4 June 2011 present Hugh Gilbert OSB Abbot of Pluscarden (1992-2011); appointed 4 June 2011; ordained 15 August 2011.Source(s):[ 11]
^a b c d "Historical successions: Aberdeen" .Crockford's Clerical Directory . Retrieved14 June 2013 .^ Dowden 1912 ,The Bishops of Scotland , pp. 97–98.^ Fryde et al. 1986 ,Handbook of British Chronology , p. 317.^ Fryde et al. 1986 ,Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 301–302.^ Dowden 1912 ,The Bishops of Scotland , pp. 98–143.^ Fryde et al. 1986 ,Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 302–303.^ Scott 1928 ,Fasti Ecclesae Scoticanae, volume 7 , pp. 392–402.^ Scott 1928 ,Fasti Ecclesae Scoticanae, volume 7 , pp. 402–411.^ Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney announces his retirement. ^ The Rt Rev Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney. ^ "Diocese of Aberdeen" .Catholic-Hierarchy.org . Retrieved14 June 2013 .
