Prior of Coldingham


The Prior of Coldingham was the head of the Benedictine monastic community of Coldingham Priory in Berwickshire, Scotland. The priory was founded during the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predecessor, King Edgar of Scotland, had granted the land of Coldingham to the Church of Durham in 1098 AD, and a church was built by him and presented in 1100. The first prior is recorded by 1147, although an earlier foundation is likely. The monastic cell was a dependency of Durham until the 1370s, and in 1378 King Robert II of Scotland expelled the Durham monks; for the following century, the cell had two priors: one chosen by Durham and one by the Scots. It later became a dependency of Dunfermline Abbey. It was subject to increasingly secular control from the late 15th century into the 16th century.

List of priors

  • Edward, fl. 1124 x 1153
  • H., fl. 1147 x 1150
  • Sampson, fl. x 1159-1161 x 1162
  • Alan, fl. 1165 x 1173
  • Herbert, 1172x1174-1175
  • Bertram, 1188-1189
  • Simon, 1189 x 1203
  • Radulf, x 1203-x 1207
  • Ernald, x 1207-1208 x 1211
  • Thomas, 1212-1221 x
  • Radulf, 1218 x 1234
  • Thomas de Melsonby, 1229-1234
  • Anketin, 1239-1242
  • Bertram de Mediltone, 1242 x 1244
  • Richard, x 1245-1247 or 1248
  • Henry de Sylton, 1248-1260
  • German, 1260
  • Roger de Wolviston, 1263-1274 x 1276
  • Henry de Horncastre, 1276-1296
  • William de Midilton, 1304
  • William de Gretham, 1304-1305
  • Adam de Pontefract, 1309-1311
  • William de Gretham, 1311-1321
  • Richard de Whitworth, 1322-1325
  • Adam de Pontefract, 1325-1332
  • Robert de Graystanes, 1333
  • Alexander de Lamsley, 1334
  • William de Scaccario, 1336 x 1337
  • Alexander de Lamsley, 1338-1339
  • John Fossour, 1340-1341
  • Walter de Skaresbrekis, 1341-1354
  • William de Bamburgh, 1355-1362
  • Robert Berrington de Walworth, 1363-1374
  • Robert de Claxton, 1374 x 1379

List of priors with allegiance to Durham

  • Robert de Claxton, 1374-1391
  • John de Ayclif, 1392-1416
  • William Drax, 1418-1441
  • John Oil, 1441-1447
  • Thomas Nesbitt, 1447-1456
  • John Pencher, 1456-1465 x 1467
  • Thomas Haughton, 1467
  • Thomas Wren, 1470

List of priors with allegiance to Dunfermline

  • Adam de Carale, 1374 x 1379
  • Michael de Inverkeithing, 1379-1389
  • William Reid, 1389-1390
  • * Simon Marischal, 1389
  • John Steele, 1390-1402
  • Alan de Lyn, 1402
  • Richard Mongal, 1402-1409
  • Andrew Raburn, 1409-1414 x 1418
  • Robert Bowmaker, 1419
  • William Brown, 1419-1430
  • Stephen Bryg, 1432
  • William Boyce, 1442-1445

List of prior-commendators