Adam de Tyninghame was a 14th century cleric and, as his name suggests, a probable native of Tyninghame in East Lothian

East Lothian

East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....

. Adam appears in the records as rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 of Falkirk

Falkirk

Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....

 (under Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace of Holyroodhouse was expanded...

) from 1344, and by 1360 he was the secretary

Secretary

A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...

 of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...

. In 1378, he was sent as one of four ambassadors sent to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 for the Scottish king. He was Dean

Dean (religion)

A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...

 of the diocese of Aberdeen

Diocese of Aberdeen

Diocese of Aberdeen was one of the 13 dioceses of the Scottish church, before the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689.-Early history:...

 - briefly dean of Dunblane

Diocese of Dunblane

The Diocese of Dunblane or Diocese of Strathearn was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland, before the abolition of episcopacy in the Scottish Church in 1689. Roughly, it embraced the territories covered by the old earldoms of Strathearn and Menteith. The diocese was founded by the...

 in 1361 - from 1362 until 1380, the year in which he was elected as Bishop of Aberdeen

Bishop of Aberdeen

The Bishop of Aberdeen was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Nechtan...

.

In 1382 Bishop Adam was engaged in a struggle with the husbandmen of "Fermartyne" (Formartine

Formartine

Formartine is a committee area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This district has a long history and extends north from the River Don. It has a population of 36,478 ....

), who had not paid their second tithe

Tithe

A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...

s, and Adam had to get an order from the Lieutenant of Scotland, John

Robert III of Scotland

Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...

, Earl of Carrick

Earl of Carrick

The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...

, to enforce payment. Adam, however, did not enjoy a good relationship with Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, who was the main warlord of the north and brother of Carrick. He continued his close relationship with the Douglases, his first patrons, and at different points in the 1380s can be found wintessing documents by Margaret, Countess of Mar

Margaret, Countess of Mar

Margaret of Mar was Countess of Mar, an ancient Earldom in Scotland, in her own right.She was a daughter of Domhnall II of Mar and after the death of her childless brother Thomas became Countess of Mar...

, window of the first Earl of Douglas and mother to the second.

Adam died on 18 September 1389.