Albin of Brechin
Albin | |
---|---|
Bishop of Brechin | |
Church | Christianity |
See | Diocese of Brechin |
In office | 1246?–1269 |
Predecessor | Gregory |
Successor | William de Crachin |
Orders | |
Consecration | Between 19 July 1246 and 13 May 1247 |
Personal details | |
Born | unknown unknown |
Died | 1269 |
Previous post(s) | Precentor of Brechin (left by 1247) |
Albin (or Albinus) (died 1269) was a 13th-century prelate of the Kingdom of Scotland. A university graduate, Albin is known for his ecclesiastical career in the diocese of Brechin, centred on Angus in east-central Scotland.
Almost certainly a native of Angus, he appears to be a descendant of
Albin, himself an illegitimate child, made his career as a churchman in the local diocese and served for some time as precentor of Brechin Cathedral before, in 1246, being elected Bishop of Brechin. He remained Bishop of Brechin until his death in 1269.
Biography
Background and early career
Albin's family and origin are unclear. It has been suggested that he may have been a son of
Albin's family certainly had strong connections in the church of Brechin. A known kinsman (nepos) of Albin's, Adam, held the position of Archdeacon of Brechin, probably by 1242, but certainly by 1264.[2] It has been suggested that this Adam was Adam de Brechin, probable son of Henry de Brechin's successor William de Brechin (died between 1286 and 1294), who held benefices in the see of Brechin in 1274.[3]
Albin became
By 1246, Albin was styled "Master", indicating that he had completed many years of university study; what he studied, and at which university, is unknown.[6]
Accession to Brechin bishopric
Albin became Bishop of Brechin following an election and then a successful appeal for confirmation to the papacy.
The Pope followed legate Otto's earlier dispensation, and on 19 July 1246 issued the mandate for confirmation and consecration to the
Early episcopate, 1240s
Albin witnessed a royal charter at Forfar on 4 July 1246.[7] In the following year, on 11 July and 8 August 1248, the Pope wrote to Albin commanding him to ensure that a settlement between Inchaffray Abbey in Strathearn, diocese of Dunblane, and Bishop Clement of Dunblane be peacefully kept, with Inchaffray being portrayed as the side in more need of protection.[9]
In the same period, he ordained
Following the death of
The available sources give no clue as to Albin's pattern of allegiance in these factional politics, and neither do his recorded activities. Professor Donald Watt has suggested that Albin was probably aligned with the Durward faction, in contrast, for instance, to the allegedly Comyn aligned Clement of Dunblane.[13] Watt even argued that Albin's postulation was probably due to the influence of Alan Durward, who at the time was a close advisor of King Alexander II.[3]
Middle episcopate, 1250s
Despite Albin's suggested Durwardite allegiance, Bishop Albin, Bishop David de Bernham of St Andrews and
In either 1253 or 1254, Albin was an
Albin performed various tasks in this period on behalf of the papacy. On 15 May 1253, Bishop Albin and Richard de Inverkeithing, Bishop of Dunkeld, were appointed to be papal mandatories, and instructed by the papacy to protect Bishop William de Bondington from being summoned to lay courts on account of matters concerning his bishopric.[3]
Bishop Albin, with the Archdeacon of Brechin, was named as a papal mandatory again on 4 January 1254 and authorised to put Nicholas de Hedon in possession of the deanery of Elgin Cathedral.[3] Along with Clement of Dunblane, Albin was named by the pope as a conservator of the privileges given to Abel de Gullane, newly provided Bishop of St Andrews, on 23 March.[14]
On 22 June, Bishop Albin assisted the justiciar Alexander Comyn in conducting a perambulation in eastern Angus.[15] Albin appears to have left Scotland again sometime after this, as he appears active around Durham again in either 1254 or 1255.[15] Back in Scotland, at Arbroath on 21 September 1256, he and Bishop Clement of Dunblane passed judgment on William de Mydford, vicar of the parish church of Dundee, after Mydford had been withholding the revenues due to the church's rector, Lindores Abbey.[15]
During this period, Albin was involved in a political controversy regarding succession to an
Later episcopate, 1260s
For three years, Albin's activities are unreported until, on 30 April 1260, he was recorded as being at
In the following year, Albin was involved in a controversy regarding the archdeaconry of Brechin. On 23 January 1364,
The stay of Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi (later Pope Adrian V) in England from 29 October 1265, until July 1268, led to a great deal of diplomatic activity in the Scottish church, in which Albin was perhaps involved.[18] Cardinal Ottobono imposed a general tax on the English church, which he extended to Scotland. King Alexander III forbade the payment of this money, and appealed to the papacy; but in 1267 the Scottish clergy persuaded Alexander to abandon his appeal, while they made their own reduced payments.[19] Meanwhile, Cardinal Ottobono's legatine council, to which the Scottish church had sent four delegates, promulgated canons for the English church which he expected the Scottish church to incorporate; the Scottish church does not appear to have done so, however.[20]
Bishop Albin witnessed William de Brechin's foundation charter of Maison Dieu chapel, Brechin, sometime between March and July 1267,[15] the last known recorded reference to him until 1269. His death in that year was reported in the Chronicle of Melrose, but without any details of the cause, or location, or Albin's age.[21]
General notes about Albin's episcopate
During Albin's episcopate, the incorporation of the The brethren who have been wont to be in the church of Brechin were called Keledei and now by change of name are styled canons[22] These Céli Dé had been proclaimed as part of the secular cathedral by an act of Bishop Gregory, Albin's predecessor.[23]
During his episcopate, Albin is said to have attracted Egbert, an
Notes
- ^ See references in first paragraph of Watt, Dictionary, s.v. "Albin", p. 5, ch. 1.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, p. 6; understanding of possession of the archdeaconry in this period is complicated, as the archdeacon called Adam in 1242 may not be the nepos Adam of 1264; see Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 54.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Watt, Dictionary, p. 6.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, p. 6; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 45.
- ^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 175; Watt, Dictionary, pp. 5–6.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, p. 5.
- ^ a b c Dowden, Bishops, p. 175; Watt, Dictionary, p. 6.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, p. 6; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 39.
- ^ Lindsay, Dowden & Thomson (eds.), Charters of Inchaffray, nos. 78 & 79; Watt, Dictionary, p. 6.
- ^ Dowden, Bishops, pp. 175–6; Watt, Dictionary, p. 6.
- ^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 176; Watt, Dictionary, p. 6.
- ^ See Hammond, "Durward Family", pp. 118–38, and Young, "Political Role of Walter Comyn", pp. 131–49, for details.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, pp. 5–7.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, pp. 6–7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Watt, Dictionary, p. 7.
- ^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 226; Watt, Dictionary, p. 7.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, p. 7; Watt, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 54.
- ^ Watt, Medieval Church Councils, p. 91; the 19th century Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge attributes to Albin a role not confirmed by other sources.
- ^ Watt, Medieval Church Councils, pp. 91–2.
- ^ Watt, Medieval Church Councils, pp. 93-4;
- ^ Anderson, Early Sources, vol. ii, p. 663.
- ^ Cowan & Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, pp. 47, 203.
- ^ Cowan & Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 203.
- ^ Watt, Dictionary, pp. 5, 7.
References
- Anderson, Alan Orr, Early Sources of Scottish History: AD 500–1286, 2 Vols, (Edinburgh, 1922)
- 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)
- Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
- Hammond, Matthew H., "The Durward family in the thirteenth century", in Steve Boardman & Alasdair Ross (eds.), The Exercise of Power in Medieval Scotland, c.1200–1500, (Dublin, 2003), pp. 118–38
- Lindsay, William Alexander, Dowden, John, & Thomson, J. Maitland (eds.), Charters, bulls and other documents relating to the Abbey of Inchaffray, chiefly from the originals in the charter chest of the Earl of Kinnoull, (Publications of the Scottish History Society ; v. 56; Edinburgh, 1908)
- Stanesby, John Tatam, "Albin", in The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Vol. 1, Part 1, (London, 1842), p. 702
- Watt, D. E. R., A Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Graduates to A. D. 1410, (Oxford, 1977)
- Watt, D. E. R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)
- Watt, D. E. R., Medieval Church Councils in Scotland, (Edinburgh, 2000)
- Young, Alan, "The Political Role of Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith During the Minority of Alexander III of Scotland", in K. J. Stringer (ed.), Essays on the nobility of medieval Scotland, (Edinburgh, 1985), pp. 131–49