Bannatyne Club > Origines parochiales Scotiae > Volume 2, part 1

296 OEIGINES [iona.
and tlie said Marioun war speeiallio providit of the said priorossie and nviirie of the abbay
foirsaid in the court of Kome or vthirwayis as vse and wount was of befoir' — ordering all the
Queen's lieges concerned to pay all the lawful dues, and the Lords of Council and Session,
the comptroller, and his deputies, to pass letters to that effect in favour of the said Marioun,
notwithstanding ' ony lawis, conscientious actis, consuetudis, or placitis, maid or to be maid
or vsit in the contrar.'^ In 1574 Mary Nikillean (probably the same grantee), prioress of the
monastery of Saint Mary the Virgin in the island of Yona, with the consent of the convent,
granted the lands which belonged to it in heritage to Hector M'Cleane of Dowarde.^
The church or chapel of Saint Oran or Aran is recorded by Fordun to have existed and
to have been used as a burying-place in the sixth or in the previous century, before Saint
Columba had come to lona.^ It is at least of very considerable antiquity, and together with
its cemetery, which was regarded as a sanctuary, was the place of sepulture of the Kings of the
Scots and Picts down to the time of King Malcolm III. (who died in 1093), and of the Lords
of the Isles and other chiefs to a much later period.* It has been styled the church
or temple of Oran, but latterly at least ranked only as a chapel.^ In 1542 King James V.
]iresented Sir John M'Mwlyne, monk of the monastery of Colmkill, to the chaplainry of the
chapel -of Saint Aran (Sancte Arane) in that monastery, which was vacant by the decease of
Sir Donald M'Cristyn."
Of Iona as a parish we have but very few and imperfect notices. The parish church was
dedicated to Saint Ronan, a Scotchman, who is said to have visited Rome, and on his return
thence through England to have maintained the Romish side of the Easter controversy
against Finan bishop of Lindisfarne ; to have retired thereafter to the isle of Ronan (Rona) ;
and to have died there about the year 678.' In 1380, when John Lord of the Isles was
interred at Iona, the abbot, monks, and vicar (probably of the parish church) went to meet
the funeral procession.' Between 1380 and 1420 Donald Lord of the Isles, who in 1411
fought the battle of Harlaw, granted to the minister (vicar ?) of Iona lands in MuU and Isla
and confirmed to him every privilege which he formerly possessed.^ In 1549 Archdeacon
Monro enumerates ' a paroche kirke' among the religious institutions of lona.^" Buchanan about
the year 1577 does the same.^' Among the ' kirkis and personagis, belonging in 1561 to
the abbot of Ecolmkill there are enumerated ' the teindis of EcolmkiU callit the personaige
of Tempill-Ronaige', or ' the personage of Ecolmkill,' wliich was one of two parsonages of
' Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. x.xxvi. fol. 22. ' Camerarius, p. 96. Bedae Hist. Eceles., lib. iii.
- Protocol Book of Gavin Hammiltoun. See post. c. 25. Acta Sanctorum, Februarii, Tom. i. Came-
' Scoticliron., lib. iii. c. 24. rarius gives the date of Saint Ronan's death 778. Bede
' Reg. Prior. Sancte Andree, cited by Innes, pp. dates his disputation with Finan in 652. The Easter
797-804. Forduni Scotichr., lib. i. c. 6 ; lib. ii. c. 10. controversy was finished iu 716. Saint Ronan was wor-
Monro's Description of the Western Isles. Lord of shipped on the 6th of February.
the Isles, note C. Pennant, ed. 1790, vol. i. p. 289. » Lord of the Isles, note C.
Tombstones at Iona. ' Lord of the Isles, note C.
^ Forduni Scotichr., lib. iii. c. 24. Lord of the Isles, '" Description of the Western Isles.
note C. Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xvi. fol. 30. " Buchanaui Historia, lib. i. c. 37. His words are,
^ Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xvi. fol. 30. curia mux, sive, ut nunc loquuntur, parochialis ccclesia.