Strath Fillan Priory was a small Augustinian

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

based at

Strath Fillan Strath Fillan () is a strath in west Perthshire named after an 8th-century Irish hermit monk, later canonised as Saint Fillan. Located in the region was once Strath Fillan Priory, an early 14th century foundation, later destroyed by the Campbell ...

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...

(now in the

Stirling council area The Stirling council area (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and has an estimated population of (). It was created in 1975 as a lower-tier district within the Central region. The district covered parts of the historic counties ...

). It seems to have been founded in 1318 by

Robert I Robert I may refer to: * Robert I, Duke of Neustria (697–748) *Robert I of France (866–923), King of France, 922–923, rebelled against Charles the Simple * Rollo, Duke of Normandy (c. 846 – c. 930; reigned 911–927) * Robert I Archbishop o ...

King of Scots The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...

, and given to the canons of

Inchaffray Abbey Inchaffray Abbey was situated by the village of Madderty, midway between Perth and Crieff in Strathearn, Scotland. The only traces now visible are an earth mound and some walls on rising ground which once (before drainage) formed an island whe ...

in order to properly celebrate

St Fillan Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán (Old Irish) or Faolán (modern Gaeilge & Gàidhlig) is the name of an eighth century monk from Munster, who having studied at Taghmon Abbey, traveled to Scotland and settled at Strath Fillan. Name The n ...

, a saint popular with the 14th century kings of Scotland. It had royal patronage after the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

. By 1607 it was a Campbell possession, when it was incorporated into the secular lordship of Archibald (Gilleasbaig) Campbell of Glencarradale.

Priors

The Prior of Strath Fillan was the head of the Augustinian monastic community. The priors are badly documented and few are known.

List of known priors

* John de Mortimer, x 1414 * Celestine (Cellach) "MacLaureus", 1414–1428 * Robert Beaton, 1428–1430 * John Murray, fl. 1498 * John Gray, fl. 1543 * Hugh Curry, 1547–1551 * John Paterson, 1551

List of known commendators

* Thomas Malvil, 1556 * Patrick Murray, 1556 * John MacCorcadill, 1569–1583 x 1584 * Donald McVicar/MacPherson, 1583–1585 x 1607

Footnotes

References

* Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., ''Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man'', Second Edition, (London, 1976), p. 98 * Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), ''The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries'', The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, (Edinburgh, 2001), pp. 207–8 Augustinian monasteries in Scotland 1318 establishments in Scotland Buildings and structures in Stirling (council area) History of Stirling (council area) Christian monasteries established in the 1310s Scheduled monuments in Stirling Former Christian monasteries in Scotland {{Scotland-RC-church-stub