Albin of Brechin
Encyclopedia
Albin (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 David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of King William I of Scotland
, through an illegitimate son whom Earl David settled in the area around Brechin
.
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.
, and was given lands there by his father. The strongest evidence of Albin's relationship with Henry is that his episcopal seal
bore the arms of Earl David.
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. 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 benefice
s in the see of Brechin in 1274.
Albin became precentor
of Brechin Cathedral
, the first known person to hold that office; he was not, however, recorded in that position until the summer of 1246, when he was confirmed as Bishop of Brechin
. Because Albin was born illegitimately, he needed papal dispensation
to hold that office, which he obtained from the papal legate
Otto of Tonengo, Bishop of Porto, in the autumn or early winter of 1239, when that legate visited Scotland.
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.
's mandate for confirmation gave the details of the election. Following the death of Gregory
, Bishop of Brechin, the cathedral chapter
selected three of their members to elect the next bishop, and they unanimously forwarded their precentor, Albin. Because of Albin's "defect of birth" (i.e. his illegitimacy), they supplicated the papacy to repeat the earlier dispensation.
The Pope followed legate Otto's earlier dispensation, and on July 19, 1246 issued the mandate for confirmation and consecration to the Kingdom of Scotland
's three senior bishops: David de Bernham
, Bishop of St Andrews; William de Bondington
, Bishop of Glasgow; and Geoffrey de Liberatione, Bishop of Dunkeld
. The consecration took place some time before May 13, 1247, the date Albin was given his first recorded task as a consecrated bishop, when he, Clement
, Bishop of Dunblane
, and David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews, were authorised to perform the episcopal consecration of Peter de Ramsay
as Bishop of Aberdeen
.
at Forfar
on July 4, 1246. In the following year, on July 11 and August 8, 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.
In the same period, he ordained vicarages for Arbroath Abbey
in Angus, and on September 22, 1248, settled a long-standing property dispute between the church of Brechin and Arbroath Abbey. However, he had left Scotland by the following month, and was in England
, at Finchale Priory
near Durham
, where he granted many indulgence
s.
Following the death of Alexander II of Scotland
on July 6, 1249, the accession of the boy king, Alexander III of Scotland
, meant minority
administration, and as a result, factional politics. The government during this minority was divided between a faction centred on Walter Comyn, husband of the countess of Menteith
, and Alan Durward
; the Comyn faction held the ascendancy between 1249 and 1252, and again between 1255 and 1257; the Durward faction held the ascendancy between 1252 and 1255, and again between 1257 and 1258.
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. 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.
Despite Albin's suggested Durwardite allegiance, Bishop Albin, Bishop David de Bernham of St Andrews and Abel de Gullane, Archdeacon of St Andrews
, issued a letter of protest against the behaviour of the Durward dominated government; they criticised Durward's onslaught on the "liberties of the church", probably in the aftermath of the translation
of the relics of St Margaret
to Dunfermline Abbey
on June 19, 1250.
In either 1253 or 1254, Albin was an assessor
at a court held by the Justiciar of Scotia
, Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
. In April 1253, he summoned Bishop David de Bernham to appear before the papal curia, in order to resolve a dispute he and the culdee
s of St Mary's were having with St Andrews Cathedral Priory
.
Albin performed various tasks in this period on behalf of the papacy. On May 15, 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.
Bishop Albin, with the Archdeacon of Brechin, was named as a papal mandatory again on January 4, 1254, and authorised to put Nicholas de Hedon in possession of the deanery
of Elgin Cathedral
. 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 March 23.
On June 22, Bishop Albin assisted the justiciar Alexander Comyn in conducting a perambulation
in eastern Angus. Albin appears to have left Scotland again some time after this, as he appears active around Durham again in either 1254 or 1255. Back in Scotland, at Arbroath on September 21, 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
.
During this period, Albin was involved in a political controversy regarding succession to an earldom. An alleged papal bull dated December 13, 1255, had named Bishop Albin as a papal mandatory, along with Robert de Stuteville
, with instructions to investigate Alan Durward's claim to the earldom of Mar; however, the bull was denounced as a forgery on March 28, 1257, after Durward's rivals had seized power. During the months preceding this denunciation, Albin was once again out of Scotland; on March 4, 1257, his presence was once again recorded at Durham.
, again as a papal mandatory. He gave judgment on a dispute between Archibald
, Bishop of Moray
, and the latter's cathedral chapter, concerning the bishop's rights of visitation
. On June 13, 1263, Albin, Roger
, Bishop of Ross
, and Richard de Inverkeithing, Bishop of Dunkeld, were selected by the papacy to judge the fitness and, if appropriate, consecrate Walter de Baltrodin
as Bishop of Caithness
.
In the following year, Albin was involved in a controversy regarding the archdeaconry of Brechin. On January 23, 1364, papal judge-delegate
s were appointed to investigate allegations of nepotism
which had been made against him. The allegations centred on Bishop Albin's handling of a vacancy to the Brechin archdeaconry; Albin had given collation
of the archdeaconry to the Abbot of Arbroath
, who then appointed Adam, one of Albin's relatives. The outcome of the case is not known, and it is therefore unclear whether or not Adam was deposed as archdeacon. All that can be confirmed is that no other archdeacon is attested by name until 1284.
The stay of Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi (later Pope Adrian V
) in England from October 29, 1265, until July 1268, led to a great deal of diplomatic activity in the Scottish church, in which Albin was perhaps involved. 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. 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.
Bishop Albin witnessed William de Brechin's foundation charter of Maison Dieu chapel, Brechin, sometime between March and July 1267, 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.
, pre-13th century monastery of Brechin before it was organised into a bishopric in the 12th century. A bull of Pope Innocent IV of February 18, 1250, stated that: These Céli Dé had been proclaimed as part of the secular cathedral by an act of Bishop Gregory, Albin's predecessor.
During his episcopate, Albin is said to have attracted Egbert, an English
Arabic scholar and Carmelite friar
, to teach in Brechin. A later tradition held that a now obscure local martyr
named Stolbrand, "martyr of Brechin", had been translated to Brechin Cathedral during Albin's episcopate; the date given is January 2, but the year is not recorded.
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
. A university graduate, Albin is known for his ecclesiastical career in the diocese of Brechin
Diocese of Brechin
The pre-Reformation Diocese of Brechin or Diocese of Angus was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland. The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedral in Brechin, Angus...
, centred on Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
in east-central Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Almost certainly a native of Angus, he appears to be a descendant of David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon, brother of King William I of Scotland
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
, through an illegitimate son whom Earl David settled in the area around Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
.
Albin, himself an illegitimate child, made his career as a churchman in the local diocese, and served for some time as precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
of Brechin Cathedral
Brechin Cathedral
The cathedral church of the Holy Trinity in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, belongs to the 13th century. It is in the Pointed style, but suffered maltreatment in 1806 at the hands of restorers, whose work was subsequently removed during the restoration completed in 1902...
before, in 1246, being elected Bishop of Brechin
Bishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
. He remained Bishop of Brechin until his death in 1269.
Background and early career
Albin's family and origin are unclear. It has been suggested that he may have been a son of Henry de Brechin (died 1244 or 1245), the bastard son of David of Huntingdon ("Earl David") and the younger brother of King William the Lion; Henry bore the title Lord of BrechinBrechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, and was given lands there by his father. The strongest evidence of Albin's relationship with Henry is that his episcopal seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
bore the arms of Earl David.
Archdeacon of Brechin
The Archdeacon of Brechin was the only archdeacon in the diocese of Brechin, acting as a subordinate of the Bishop of Brechin. The archdeacon held the parish church of Strachan as a prebend from at least 1274.-List of archdeacons of Moray:...
, probably by 1242, but certainly by 1264. 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 benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s in the see of Brechin in 1274.
Albin became precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
of Brechin Cathedral
Brechin Cathedral
The cathedral church of the Holy Trinity in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, belongs to the 13th century. It is in the Pointed style, but suffered maltreatment in 1806 at the hands of restorers, whose work was subsequently removed during the restoration completed in 1902...
, the first known person to hold that office; he was not, however, recorded in that position until the summer of 1246, when he was confirmed as Bishop of Brechin
Bishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
. Because Albin was born illegitimately, he needed papal dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
to hold that office, which he obtained from the papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
Otto of Tonengo, Bishop of Porto, in the autumn or early winter of 1239, when that legate visited Scotland.
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.
Accession to Brechin bishopric
Albin became Bishop of Brechin following an election and then a successful appeal for confirmation to the papacy. Pope Innocent IVPope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
's mandate for confirmation gave the details of the election. Following the death of Gregory
Gregory of Brechin
Gregory of Brechin was a 13th-century prelate based in the Kingdom of Scotland.Gregory's name appears for the first time in an Arbroath Abbey document dating between 1189 and 1198, when he is holding the office of Archdeacon of Brechin. He is the first known archdeacon in the diocese of Brechin...
, Bishop of Brechin, the cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
selected three of their members to elect the next bishop, and they unanimously forwarded their precentor, Albin. Because of Albin's "defect of birth" (i.e. his illegitimacy), they supplicated the papacy to repeat the earlier dispensation.
The Pope followed legate Otto's earlier dispensation, and on July 19, 1246 issued the mandate for confirmation and consecration to the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
's three senior bishops: David de Bernham
David de Bernham
David de Bernham was Chamberlain of King Alexander II of Scotland and subsequently, Bishop of St. Andrews. He was elected to the see in June 1239, and finally consecrated, after some difficulties, in January, 1240. He died in 1253, and was buried at Nenthorn, near Kelso.-References:*Dowden, John,...
, Bishop of St Andrews; William de Bondington
William de Bondington
William de Bondington was a 13th century bishop of Glasgow. Before becoming bishop, William was rector of Eddleston, a prebendary of Glasgow, and archdeacon of Lothian. From the year 1231, William was Chancellor of Scotland. He was elected Bishop of Glasgow sometime between 19 May 1232 and June 1233...
, Bishop of Glasgow; and Geoffrey de Liberatione, Bishop of Dunkeld
Bishop of Dunkeld
The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Cormac...
. The consecration took place some time before May 13, 1247, the date Albin was given his first recorded task as a consecrated bishop, when he, Clement
Clement of Dunblane
Clement was a 13th century Dominican friar who was the first member of the Dominican Order in Britain and Ireland to become a bishop. In 1233, he was selected to lead the ailing diocese of Dunblane in Scotland, and faced a struggle to bring the bishopric of Dunblane to financial viability...
, Bishop of Dunblane
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane/Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotland. The bishopric itself certainly derives from an older...
, and David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews, were authorised to perform the episcopal consecration of Peter de Ramsay
Peter de Ramsay
Peter de Ramsay [Ramsey] was a 13th century cleric based in Scotland. His background and origins are obscure. He was the son of a "cleric in minor orders" and an unmarried girl and, according to John of Fordun, he was of "noble birth"...
as Bishop of Aberdeen
Bishop of Aberdeen
The Bishop of Aberdeen was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Nechtan...
.
Early episcopate, 1240s
Albin witnessed a royal charterCharter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
at Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
on July 4, 1246. In the following year, on July 11 and August 8, 1248, the Pope wrote to Albin commanding him to ensure that a settlement between Inchaffray Abbey
Inchaffray Abbey
Inchaffray Abbey was situated by the village of Madderty, midway between Perth and Crieff in Strathearn, Scotland. The only trace now visible is an earth mound and some walls on the island where the abbey once stood.-History:...
in Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
, diocese of Dunblane
Diocese of Dunblane
The Diocese of Dunblane or Diocese of Strathearn was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland, before the abolition of episcopacy in the Scottish Church in 1689. Roughly, it embraced the territories covered by the old earldoms of Strathearn and Menteith. The diocese was founded by the...
, and Bishop Clement of Dunblane be peacefully kept, with Inchaffray being portrayed as the side in more need of protection.
In the same period, he ordained vicarages for Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court...
in Angus, and on September 22, 1248, settled a long-standing property dispute between the church of Brechin and Arbroath Abbey. However, he had left Scotland by the following month, and was in England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, at Finchale Priory
Finchale Priory
Finchale Priory was a 13th century Benedictine priory. The remains are sited by the River Wear, four miles from Durham. It is a Grade I listed building.-Current Situation:...
near Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, where he granted many indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s.
Following the death of Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
on July 6, 1249, the accession of the boy king, Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
, meant minority
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
administration, and as a result, factional politics. The government during this minority was divided between a faction centred on Walter Comyn, husband of the countess of Menteith
Mary I, Countess of Menteith
Maire inghean Mhuireadhaich or Mary, daughter of Muireadhach II, Mormaer of Menteith, was Countess of Menteith, successor to her sister Isabella . She inherited the title from her father, and married Walter Bailloch, son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland...
, and Alan Durward
Alan Durward
Alan Hostarius was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of Atholl, meaning that Alan was the product of two Gaelic comital families.Alan was one of the most important...
; the Comyn faction held the ascendancy between 1249 and 1252, and again between 1255 and 1257; the Durward faction held the ascendancy between 1252 and 1255, and again between 1257 and 1258.
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
D. E. R. Watt
Donald Elmslie Robertson Watt FRSE was a Scottish historian and Professor Emeritus at St Andrews University....
has suggested that Albin was probably aligned with the Durward faction, in contrast, for instance, to the allegedly Comyn aligned Clement of Dunblane. 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.
Middle episcopate, 1250s
Archdeacon of St Andrews
The Archdeacon of St Andrews was the head of the Archdeaconry of St Andrews, a sub-division of the Diocese of St Andrews, from the twelfth to the seventeenth century...
, issued a letter of protest against the behaviour of the Durward dominated government; they criticised Durward's onslaught on the "liberties of the church", probably in the aftermath of the translation
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
of the relics of St Margaret
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
to Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
on June 19, 1250.
In either 1253 or 1254, Albin was an assessor
Assessor (law)
In some jurisdictions, an assessor is a judge's or magistrate's assistant. This is in fact the historical meaning of this word.-By country:In Denmark, it was the former title given to Supreme Court judges. Today the title is given to Deputy Judges...
at a court held by the Justiciar of Scotia
Justiciar of Scotia
The Justiciar of Scotia was the most senior legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. Scotia in this context refers to Scotland to the north of the River Forth and River Clyde....
, Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan was a Scoto-Norman magnate who was one of the most important figures in the 13th century Kingdom of Scotland. He was the son of William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan, and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan,...
. In April 1253, he summoned Bishop David de Bernham to appear before the papal curia, in order to resolve a dispute he and the culdee
Culdee
Céli Dé or Culdees were originally members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland and England in the Middle Ages. The term is used of St. John the Apostle, of a missioner from abroad recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 806, and of Óengus...
s of St Mary's were having with St Andrews Cathedral Priory
St Andrews Cathedral Priory
St Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Plans were made for its foundation in the reign of Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim , who set aside some land for that purpose. It was finally established by King David I and his son in 1140 with canons from...
.
Albin performed various tasks in this period on behalf of the papacy. On May 15, 1253, Bishop Albin and Richard de Inverkeithing
Richard de Inverkeithing
Richard de Inverkeithing was a 13th century cleric from Scotland, probably from Inverkeithing in Fife. He was a Chamberlain of King Alexander II of Scotland and bishop of Dunkeld....
, 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.
Bishop Albin, with the Archdeacon of Brechin, was named as a papal mandatory again on January 4, 1254, and authorised to put Nicholas de Hedon in possession of the deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Elgin Cathedral
Elgin Cathedral
Elgin Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II that was close to the River Lossie and outside of the burgh of...
. 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 March 23.
On June 22, Bishop Albin assisted the justiciar Alexander Comyn in conducting a perambulation
Perambulation
Perambulation means "walking around". In traditional English law, it is used specifically to mean "determining the bounds of a legal area by walking around it", meaning physically walking around the region in question...
in eastern Angus. Albin appears to have left Scotland again some time after this, as he appears active around Durham again in either 1254 or 1255. Back in Scotland, at Arbroath on September 21, 1256, he and Bishop Clement of Dunblane passed judgment on William de Mydford, vicar of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, after Mydford had been withholding the revenues due to the church's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, Lindores Abbey
Lindores Abbey
Lindores Abbey was a Tironensian abbey on the outskirts of Newburgh in Fife, Scotland. Now a much reduced and overgrown ruin, it lies on the southern banks of the River Tay, about north of the village of Lindores....
.
During this period, Albin was involved in a political controversy regarding succession to an earldom. An alleged papal bull dated December 13, 1255, had named Bishop Albin as a papal mandatory, along with Robert de Stuteville
Robert de Stuteville
Robert de Stuteville was Bishop-elect of St Andrews and Bishop of Dunkeld. Robert was dean of Dunkeld as early as 1253, when he was elected to the bishopric of St Andrews on 28 June that year. Unfortunately for Robert, his election was opposed by the king, at the time, Alexander III, and by the...
, with instructions to investigate Alan Durward's claim to the earldom of Mar; however, the bull was denounced as a forgery on March 28, 1257, after Durward's rivals had seized power. During the months preceding this denunciation, Albin was once again out of Scotland; on March 4, 1257, his presence was once again recorded at Durham.
Later episcopate, 1260s
For three years, Albin's activities are unreported until, on April 30, 1260, he was recorded as being at MontroseMontrose, Angus
Montrose is a coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. It is situated 38 miles north of Dundee between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers...
, again as a papal mandatory. He gave judgment on a dispute between Archibald
Archibald (d. 1298)
Archibald was a 13th century Scottish prelate best known for involvement in a dispute with the Pope.His Flemish name could indicate a connection with the de Douglas or de Moravia families either by kinship or geography, but there is no other direct evidence of this...
, Bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
, and the latter's cathedral chapter, concerning the bishop's rights of visitation
Canonical Visitation
A canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view of maintaining faith and discipline, and of correcting abuses by the application of proper remedies.-Catholic usage:...
. On June 13, 1263, Albin, Roger
Roger (Bishop of Ross)
Roger was a churchman based in the 14th century Kingdom of Scotland, and active as Bishop of Ross from 1325 until 1350. Before attaining this position, Roger was a canon of Abernethy; it is possible that Roger was an Augustinian, because it is often thought that Abernethy did not become a...
, Bishop of Ross
Bishop of Ross
The Bishop of Ross was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Ross, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first recorded bishop appears in the late 7th century as a witness to Adomnán of Iona's Cáin Adomnáin. The bishopric was based at the settlement of Rosemarkie until the mid-13th...
, and Richard de Inverkeithing, Bishop of Dunkeld, were selected by the papacy to judge the fitness and, if appropriate, consecrate Walter de Baltrodin
Walter de Baltrodin
Walter de Baltrodin [Baltroddi; Baltroddie] was a 13th century Scottish bishop; if his name can be taken as a guide, he came from "Baltrodin" - Baltroddie - in Gowrie...
as Bishop of Caithness
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
.
In the following year, Albin was involved in a controversy regarding the archdeaconry of Brechin. On January 23, 1364, papal judge-delegate
Papal judge-delegate
A papal judge delegate was a type of judicial appointment created during the 12th century by the medieval papacy where the pope would designate a local judge, often an ecclesiastic, to decide a case that had been appealed to the papal court....
s were appointed to investigate allegations of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
which had been made against him. The allegations centred on Bishop Albin's handling of a vacancy to the Brechin archdeaconry; Albin had given collation
Collation
Collation is the assembly of written information into a standard order. One common type of collation is called alphabetization, though collation is not limited to ordering letters of the alphabet...
of the archdeaconry to the Abbot of Arbroath
Abbot of Arbroath
Abbot of Arbroath was the head of the Tironensian Benedictine monastic community of Arbroath Abbey, Angus, Scotland, founded under the patronage of King William of Scotland from Kelso Abbey and dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. The abbot, John Gedy, was granted the mitre on 26 June 1396...
, who then appointed Adam, one of Albin's relatives. The outcome of the case is not known, and it is therefore unclear whether or not Adam was deposed as archdeacon. All that can be confirmed is that no other archdeacon is attested by name until 1284.
The stay of Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi (later Pope Adrian V
Pope Adrian V
Pope Adrian V , born Ottobuono de' Fieschi, was pope in 1276.-Biography:Ottobuono belonged to a feudal family of Liguria, the Fieschi, Counts of Lavagna....
) in England from October 29, 1265, until July 1268, led to a great deal of diplomatic activity in the Scottish church, in which Albin was perhaps involved. 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. Meanwhile, Cardinal Ottobono's legatine council, to which the Scottish church had sent four delegates, promulgated canons
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
for the English church which he expected the Scottish church to incorporate; the Scottish church does not appear to have done so, however.
Bishop Albin witnessed William de Brechin's foundation charter of Maison Dieu chapel, Brechin, sometime between March and July 1267, the last known recorded reference to him until 1269. His death in that year was reported in the Chronicle of Melrose
Chronicle of Melrose
The Chronicle of Melrose is a medieval chronicle from the Cottonian Manuscript, Faustina B. ix within the British Museum. It was written by unknown authors, though evidence in the writing shows that it most likely was written by the monks at Melrose Abbey. The chronicle begins on the year 735 and...
, but without any details of the cause, or location, or Albin's age.
General notes about Albin's episcopate
During Albin's episcopate, the incorporation of the Céli Dé ("vassal of God") into the cathedral chapter was probably brought near to completion. The Céli Dé were the Scottish monks who formed the base of the pre-ReformGregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
, pre-13th century monastery of Brechin before it was organised into a bishopric in the 12th century. A bull of Pope Innocent IV of February 18, 1250, stated that: These Céli Dé had been proclaimed as part of the secular cathedral by an act of Bishop Gregory, Albin's predecessor.
During his episcopate, Albin is said to have attracted Egbert, an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Arabic scholar and Carmelite friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
, to teach in Brechin. A later tradition held that a now obscure local martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
named Stolbrand, "martyr of Brechin", had been translated to Brechin Cathedral during Albin's episcopate; the date given is January 2, but the year is not recorded.