Thomas Stewart was an illegitimate son of King

Robert II of Scotland Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie Bruce, Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, h ...

. In 1380,

Avignon Pope Clement VII Robert of Geneva (; 1342 – 16 September 1394) was elected to the papacy as Clement VII () by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI and was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election led to the Western Schism. The son of A ...

provided Thomas with the Archdeaconry of the Bishopric of St. Andrews, as well as the

canonry Canon () is a Christian title usually used to refer to a member of certain bodies in subject to an canon law, ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses within the p ...

(and

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

) of Stobo in the Bishopric of Glasgow. In 1389, the king petitioned and obtained for Thomas from the Pope the right to hold the

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

of the Bishopric of Dunkeld along with his other offices, and in 1393, the Pope provided a

in the Bishopric of Brechin. In this period, Archdeacon Thomas obtained a Bachelor of

Canon Law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

. On 1 July 1401, following the death of

Walter Trail Walter Trail (died 1401; also spelled Trayl) was a late 14th century Bishop of St. Andrews. He appears as an official in the Bishopric of Glasgow in 1378, as a Magister Artium and a Licentiate in Canon and civil law. In 1380, he has a doctorate ...

, Bishop of St. Andrews, Thomas was elected to fill the see's vacancy. However, because of the problems experienced by

Avignon Pope Benedict XIII Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor (25 November 1328 – 23 May 1423), known as () or Pope Luna, was an Aragonese nobleman who was antipope with the regnal name Benedict XIII during the Western Schism. Early life Pedro Martínez de Lu ...

, who was being besieged by the

King of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

, Thomas had problems obtaining Papal confirmation. In this context, Thomas' election fell victim to the political struggles of the time. Thomas was supported by his nephew,

David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay David Stewart (24 October 1378 - ) was the eldest son of Robert III of Scotland and his wife, Annabella Drummond. The heir apparent to the Scottish throne from 1390 until his death, David held the titles of Prince of Scotland, Duke of Rothesay ...

, who actively campaigned in the region of St. Andrews during the year 1401. However, this aligned him against his half-brother,

Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340 – 3 September 1420) was a member of the Scottish royal family who served as regent (at least partially) to three Scottish monarchs ( Robert II, Robert III, and James I). A ruthless politician, Albany ...

. In order to obtain control of

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...

, the Duke of Albany offered its keeper, Walter de Danyelston, the semi-vacant see of St. Andrews. After a meeting between Albany and the Bishop elect at Abernethy in the summer of 1402, Thomas renounced his rights as Bishop and allowed a new "election" to take place.

References

* Boardman, Stephen, ''The Early Stewart Kings: Robert II and Robert III, 1371-1406'', (East Linton, 1996) *

Dowden, John John Dowden /d͡ʒɒn ˈdaʊdən/ (29 June 1840 – 30 January 1910) was an Irish-born bishop and ecclesiastical historian. He served in the Scottish Episcopal Church as the Bishop of Edinburgh. Life He was born in Cork on 29 June 1840, ...

, ''The Bishops of Scotland'', ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912) 14th-century births 15th-century deaths Bishops of St Andrews

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

Medieval Gaels from Scotland 14th-century Scottish Roman Catholic bishops Illegitimate children of Scottish monarchs Sons of kings {{authority control