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The Chapter of Aberdeen Cathedral
and their Prebends
The 'gestation period' of the Chapter of Aberdeen Cathedral was a protracted one. From its first days, in the time of Bishop Nechtan in 1131x1132, it comprised only the bishop himself and his familia - a number of chaplains and possibly an Archdeacon. In 1157, following the bull of Pope Adrian III. to Bishop Edward (1147-1171), in which he gave permission for the formation of a Chapter, there were developments, but progress seems still to have been very slow.
From an early period, Aberdeen cathedral apparently adopted the Usage of Sarum (Salisbury) which presented a 'model' comprising four Principal Dignitaries (Dean, Precentor, Chancellor and Treasurer), and a number of simple canons. In time, all of these individuals were supported, by a prebend.
A prebend, in its usual sense, was a source of income used to support a canon within an ecclesiastical institution - a cathedral or a collegiate church - and the major officials of the cathedral Chapter were all canons. Exactly what it was that provided the source of income varied considerably. In some cases it was the rectorial tithes (parsonage) which accrued from a church (or a group of churches brought together to ensure that the income was sufficient); in other cases it comprised the income (rent) from a piece of land; sometimes it was rent from a building of some kind; and it was always possible that the prebend comprised a sometimes bewildering combination of all of these. But, in all cases, is was a matter of the greatest importance to have written evidence giving detail to the exact nature of the source of income and this was usually accomplished by the diocesan bishop by the issuing of a foundation charter at the time of the prebend's creation. In the case of land this was quite often determined by the process of marching the bounds or perambulation by the witnesses, each of whom might then be required to sign the foundation charter. In passing, it should also be noted here that a canon was not often seen by the parishoners who ultimately provided his prebendal income. The cure of their souls was provided for by a vicar or chaplain who was employed by the holder of the prebend and this allowed the prebendary (usually a canon) to exercise his role within the cathedral free of parish concerns.
The first recorded holders of the four principal cathedral dignities seem to have been:
Dean - Robert/Roger (1189)5
Precentor - Jordan (1240)7
Chancellor - John (1240) 10
Treasurer - William (1228-1243)12
Dean Robert appears during the episcopate of Bishop Matthew (1172-1199), the Treasurer William while Adam was bishop (1207-1228), whilst the remaing two appear during the reign of Bishop Ralph de Lamley (1239-1247), who previously had been Abbot of Arbroath. Apart from these 'principals', Roger de Derby is the first cleric that we find as a simple Canon of Aberdeen - on 1st August 1259.14 There is no mention about the prebend that he my have held.
Of course, many of the prebends of the cathedral had been in existence earlier than the dates mentioned above - it is simply that the names of the individuals concerned, and the dates, have not come down to us. The names of the prebends themselves have, however, survived and the following table records them along with the date when they first appear in the historical record.
| Prebend | First known | Alt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen - Old Machar | Dean's Prebend | ||
| Auchterless | 1157 | Precentor's Prebend | |
| Birse | 1256 | Chancellor's Prebend | |
| Daviot | 1256 | Treasurer's Prebend | |
| Rayne | 1314 | Archdeacon's Prebend | |
| Aberdeen - St Nicholas | 1256 | The Rectory was the Bishop's Prebend | |
| Belhelvie | 1163 | ||
| Mortlach | 1256 | ||
| Invercruden | 1302 | ||
| Clatt | 1256 | ||
| Banchory-Devenick | 1163 | ||
| Oyne | 1256 | ||
| 20 merks from Deer | 1256 | ||
| ↑ Original 12 + the Bishop. ↑ | |||
| Crimond | 1262 | 1156 | |
| Lonmay | 1314 | ||
| Aberdour | 1318 | ||
| Forbes | 1325 | Patronage retained by the Lord Forbes | |
| Ellon | 1328 | Prebend erected by Bishop Henry le Chen in 1327 | |
| Kincardine O'Neil | 1330 | The hospital was closed by this date | |
| Invernochty (Strathdon) | 1356 | Vicarage - gifted by Thomas, earl of Mar | |
| Philorth * | 1361 | 1367 | |
| Methlick | 1362 | 1342 | |
| Tullynestle | 1366 | Parsonage; Vicarage was a prebend of King's College from c.1513 | |
| Drumoak | 1368 | ||
| Turriff | 1412 | 1207 | |
| Kinkell | 1420 | From the gift of Bp. Henry de Lichton, when bishop of Moray | |
| Coldstone | 1428 | After an unseccessful gift to Lindores in 1402 by Isabella, Countess of Mar | |
| Rathven | 1445 | 1441 | |
| Monymusk | 1445 | ||
| Aberdeen - Spittal | c.1527 | St Peter's Hospital | |
There is a significant degree of confusion regarding certain of the prebends:
Philorth
1330-31 the patronage of Philorth was resigned into the hands of the King30
1345 King David II grants the patronage to the Dean and Chapter for the erection of a prebend22
1349 This grant is renewed - but the revenues are then assigned to the Chapter, to whom the patronage is also ceded24
1361-62 After a dispute with the Bishop, another grant is made but a compromise resulted in the erection of two chaplaincies and the appointment of a vicar pensionar to serve the cure at Philorth. This vicar was to pay a set sum to the Chapter; the residual fruits were put at the disposal of the Dean and Chapter; and it was from these 'residues' that the prebend was eventually erected in 1362.
Invernochty
Was joined with Auchindoir at some point to augment the income of this prebend. Auchindoir was then disjoined (1513-14) to form a prebend of the King's College in Aberdeen.
Kinkell
1420 the church of Kinkell with its dependencies (the churches of Drumblade, Dyce, Kemnay, Kinnellar, Kintore, and Skene) was gifted to Aberdeen Cathedral by Henry de Lichton who was at that time Bishop of Moray. It appears that Henry may have intended to create a personal prebend in Aberdeen for himself.
It is unclear if this was a deliberate collection of churches with Kinkell as the mother church matrix ecclesia.
There is also a suggestion of an association with the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. In the chartulary the prebend is described as:
"plebanium, seu militum hierosolimitanorum"
[plebania, or commandery of Jerusalem]
At the time of this gift, one of Henry de Lichton's family - Sir Alexander de Lichton - was preceptor of the Order's commandery at Torphichen.
This was one of the richest of the Cathedral's prebends
Rules of Residence - An ordinance was adopted in 1366 by which a canon not keeping 'due residence according to the Statutes' was to be deprived of one-seventh of the income of his prebend, which sum was to be divided equally among those keeping residence.30 This ordinance was re-enacted in 1448 but changed the destination of the 'seventh' to the upkeep of the cathedral fabric.32
The 'Statutes' required the Dean to be resident 'for the greater part of the year'; the other Dignitaries (Precentor, Treasurer, Chancellor) 'for at least six months'; whilst ordinary Canons were expected to be resident for three months in the year. This is similar to the residential requirements in the neighbouring diocese of Moray, but there are significant differences.
References.
2. The damaged will of Valteri Ydyle appears in the Aberdeen Registers. It reads: "Villelmus de Camera de Balnacrag executor … quondam … magistri Valteri Ydyle ecclesiarum Brechinensis et Aberdonensis canonici ac prebendarii de Deir … Sciatis me nomine quo supra pro salute anime dicti … Valteri ac parentum suorum animeque mee … dedisse … Deo et beate Marie … et capellanis chori ecclesie … annuum redditum … xx sol. … exeuntem de … perticais terre … iacentibus infra territorium de Kentor (Kintore) [per metas ut supra.] Clebrando inde … unam missam dictam septimana videlicet sexta feria in capella beati Niniani confessoris pro salute animarum dicti Valteri et parentum suorum … singulis ebdomadis … Apud Kentor xx Julii anno Domini m.cccc.lxxiii … Presentibus David de Camera · Thoma Morison · Johanne Clerk · et Johanne Sowter · "
This document gives us the hitherto unknown information the Walter held the prebend of Deer in Aberdeen Cathedral.
[R.E.A., i., p.304] [Return]
5. Watt (1969), p.6. He occurs as 'Dean in Aberdeen' 1189x1196 and 1175x1199. [Return]
7. ibid. p.9. Occurs as Precentor on 20 August 1240 and 24 April 1243, but styled simply as a canon in 1240 (second instance) and 1244. [Return]
10. ibid. p.12. Occurs 20 August 1240. [Return]
12. ibid. p.15. Possibly the same 'William' who appears as Bishop's Clerk in 1193, witnessing Bishop Matthew's presentation of Michael, a clerk, to the church of Glenmuick, at the instance of Prior Gilbert de Vere and the Hospitallers of England. [POMS Database] [Return]
14. R.E.A., i., p.27; Inchcolm Chrs., p.137. Roger was also a canon of Dunkeld cathedral from at least 1252. [Return]
30. R.E.A., ii., 57. [Return]
32. R.E.A., ii., 73. [Return]
Bibliography.
Cowan, Ian B., Mackay, P. and Macquarrie, A. (1983) The Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland, Edinburgh: for the Scottish History Society.
Easson, D.E. and A, Macdonald (1938) Charters of the Abbey of Inchcolm, Edinburgh: Scottish History Society. [Inchcolm Chrs.]
Innes, C. (1845)Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis, Vol. 1, Aberdeen: for the Spalding Club. [R.E.A., i]
Innes, C. (1845) Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis, Vol. 2, Aberdeen: for the Spalding Club. [R.E.A., ii]
Watt, D.E.R. (1969) Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aev: ad annum 1638, Edinburgh: Scottish Records Society.
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