Series 3 > Charters of the Abbey of Inchcolm

XX CHARTERS OF THE ABBEY OF INCHCOLM
The Augustinian Priory
At Inchcolm, as in the case of other Brito-Celtic settle¬
ments, canons of the Order of St. Augustine were intro¬
duced, as their ‘ rule ’ most nearly approximated to that
of the Cele De. From what older house of Augustinian
canons the first members of the new community were
brought is unknown. The original Roman foundation was
a Priory ; but from the evidence of the earliest charter
that has been preserved,1 it appears that some considerable
time elapsed before the foundation was complete and the
religious settled in the island. By this charter (c. 1162-69),
Gregory, Bishop of Dunkeld, makes over to the canons—
‘ their lands which, by precept and commendation
of King David, I have kept and looked after for the use
of the canons until they should be in the island Emonia,
as the king had enjoined me ... as those (lands) in
which I have no right except only the custody from King
David and the episcopal right from God.’
Ross suggests that owing to the death of King Alexander
in the year after he had founded the Priory, his intention
of endowing it was incompletely fulfilled. It cannot, how¬
ever, be assumed, after the manner of Ross, that the first
endowment must have been completed by King David ;
for if that king gave the custody of the Priory’s possessions
to the Bishop of Dunkeld, it does not follow that he was
the donor of them.
By 1178, the Priory had been definitely established, for
in that year 2 it received a papal bull confirming its posses¬
sions and endowments. These were of the type commonly
held by religious houses, viz. the fruits of appropriated
churches, lands, income in money and in kind. It may be
noted that several items which appear in Bishop Gregory’s
charter—Innerkynglassin, Tellin and certain tenths of his
1 Charters, No. i.
2 The year is given throughout this work as x 178, in accordance with the
dating of the bull. According to the modern computation, the year is 1179.