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^[1]
• H.[...], fl. 1147 x 1150
• Sampson, fl. x 1159-1161 x 1162
• Alan, fl. 1165 x 1173
• Herbert, 1172x1174-1175
• Bertram, 1188-1189^[2]
• 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^[3]
• Anketin, 1239-1242
• Bertram de Mediltone, 1242 x 1244^[3]
• 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

• Patrick Home, 1461-1478^[4]
• John Home, 1464-1503
• Ninian Home, 1501-1508
• John Home, 1509
• Alexander Stewart, 1510-1513^[5]
• David Home, 1513-1517
  • Thomas Nudre, 1514
• Robert Blackadder, 1518-1519
• William Douglas, 1519 -1526^[6]
  • George Patricii, 1520
  • Patrick Blackadder of Tulliallan, 1521 -1525^[7]
  • Andrew Home, 1522
  • John Forman, 1523
• Adam Blackadder, 1523-1541
• John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham, 1541-1563^[8]
• Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell, 1565-1567^[9]
• John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, 1567-1571
• Alexander Home I [senior], 1570
• Alexander Home II [junior], 1571-1587
• Francis Stewart, earl of Bothwell (again), 1584-1590
• John Stewart, 1589-1592
• Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home, 1592-1606