William (bishop of Moray)

William (died 1162) was a 12th-century prelate based in the Kingdom of Scotland. He occurs in the records for the first time, 1152 x 1153, late in the reign of King David I of Scotland (1124–53) witnessing a grant from that monarch of the church of Clackmannan to the Abbot of Cambuskenneth. By this point in time he is already Bishop of Moray. The date of his accession is not known; all that can be said is that he must have become bishop some time, perhaps some considerable time, after 1128, the last certain point in the floruit of his predecessor Gregoir.

William witnesses a charter of King Máel Coluim IV at some date after 19 December 1154, when Christian was consecrated as Bishop of Galloway. He witnessed several other charters of King Máel Coluim, as well a charter of Herbert, Bishop of Glasgow, and one of Ernald, Bishop of St Andrews. The last styles William "Bishop of Moray and Legate of the Apostolic See". Bishop William had gone to Rome in 1159 on behalf of King Máel Coluim in order to complain about the activities of the Archbishop of York. He had returned as a Papal legate. Bishop William had performed the consecration of Ernald of St Andrews on 20 November 1160, in his capacity as Papal legate. As demonstrated by his recorded actions it appears that he was an absentee bishop and seldom in his diocese.^[1] William died on 24 January 1162.

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References[]

• Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
• Keith, Robert, An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688, (London, 1924)
• Lawrie, Sir Archibald, Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153, (Glasgow, 1905)
• Fawcett, Richard & Oram, Richard, Elgin Cathedral and the Diocese of Moray, Historic Scotland (Edinburgh, 2014), ISBN 978-1-84917-173-1
• Watt, D.E.R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)