Maurice was a 14th century Scottish cleric who became Prior of Inchmahome

Prior of Inchmahome

The Prior of Inchmahome was the head of the community of Augustinian canons at Inchmahome Priory, on Inchmahome in the Lake of Menteith, in Highland Stirlingshire, Scotland...

, Abbot of Inchaffray

Abbot of Inchaffray

The Abbot of Inchaffray, before 1221 Prior of Inchaffray, and then by the end of the 15th century, the Commendator of Inchaffray, was the head of the community of Augustinian canons of Inchaffray Abbey and their lands. Inchaffray is in Strathearn, in southern Perthshire, Scotland...

 and then Bishop of Dunblane

Bishop of Dunblane

The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane/Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotland. The bishopric itself certainly derives from an older...

. He was Prior

Prior

Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...

 of Inchmahome Priory

Inchmahome Priory

Inchmahome Priory is situated on Inchmahome , the largest of three islands in the centre of Lake of Menteith, close to Aberfoyle, Scotland....

 in Menteith

Menteith

Menteith or Monteith , a district of south Perthshire, Scotland, roughly comprises the territory between the Teith and the Forth. The region is named for the river Teith, but the exact sense is unclear, early forms including Meneted, Maneteth and Meneteth.First recorded as the Mormaerdom of...

 after 1297. He became abbot of Inchaffray Abbey

Inchaffray Abbey

Inchaffray Abbey was situated by the village of Madderty, midway between Perth and Crieff in Strathearn, Scotland. The only trace now visible is an earth mound and some walls on the island where the abbey once stood.-History:...

 in Strathearn

Strathearn

Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....

 between March 1304 and October 1305. As Abbot of Inchaffray, he held a canonry in the diocese of Dunblane

Dunblane

Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...

, that is, the precentor

Precentor

A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....

ship of Dunblane Cathedral

Dunblane Cathedral

Dunblane Cathedral is the larger of the two Church of Scotland parish churches serving Dunblane, near the city of Stirling, in central Scotland.-History:...

 (also in Strathearn). After the death of Nicholas de Balmyle

Nicholas de Balmyle

Nicholas de Balmyle , also called Nicholas of St Andrews, was a Scottish administrator and prelate in the late 13th century and early 14th century...

, he was elected to the bishopric of Dunblane. He was consecrated to the see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 before March 23, 1322, after litigation at the Papal court. King Edward II of England

Edward II of England

Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

 had nominated one Richard de Pontefract

Richard de Pontefract

Richard de Pontefract O. P. was an English Dominican friar active during the reign King Edward II. On June 25, 1320, King Edward petitioned the papacy for Richard to filled the see of Dunblane, vacant by the death of Nicholas de Balmyle...

 to the see, while Roger de Ballinbreich had also been elected by the chapter; both of these men were overlooked by the Pope in Maurice's favour.

Maurice has achieved some popular fame because of his role as an early supporter of King Robert I of Scotland

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

 and as chaplain at the Battle of Bannockburn

Battle of Bannockburn

The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...

. Maurice was probably one of the people who helped Robert after his defeat at the Battle of Methven

Battle of Methven

The Battle of Methven took place at Methven in Scotland in 1306, during the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Comyn's Death:In February 1306, Robert Bruce and a small party of his followers killed John Comyn, also known as the Red Comyn, before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries...

 in 1305. Robert I's first recorded act as king involved Abbot Maurice, who was given a "credence" (like empowering a Plenipotentiary

Plenipotentiary

The word plenipotentiary has two meanings. As a noun, it refers to a person who has "full powers." In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government as a prerogative...

 or possessor of Power of Attorney

Power of attorney

A power of attorney or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter...

) to speak with Maol Íosa III, Earl of Strathearn

Maol Íosa III, Earl of Strathearn

Maol Íosa III of Strathearn, who ruled Strathearn 1271 to 1317, is the sixth known Mormaer of Strathearn; but this is a source problem and in no way means that he was the sixth in reality....

 on his behalf. Maurice was in England with a grant of safe-conduct in January 1313, probably on a mission to attempt to make peace between the two kings. At the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Maurice was the chaplain of the Scottish army and gave an encouraging speech and blessing to the Scottish soldiers. According to a legendary account found in the writings of Hector Boece

Hector Boece

Hector Boece , known in Latin as Hector Boecius or Boethius, was a Scottish philosopher and first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen, a predecessor of the University of Aberdeen.-Biography:He was born in Dundee where he attended school...

, Maurice brought to the battlefield the silver reliquary

Reliquary

A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...

 known to contain the left arm-bone of St Fillan, but for safety left the actual arm of the saint in the monastery. The arm-bone, however, miraculously made its own way to the battlefield where it helped bring the Scots victory.

His later career is largely unrecorded. He died in the 1340s, definitely before October 23, 1347, when William de Cambuslang

William de Cambuslang

William de Cambuslang was a 14th century Scottish churchman, presumably coming from a family based at or originating from Cambuslang near Glasgow....

, his successor as Bishop of Dunblane, was consecrated.