William Meldrum
Encyclopedia
William Meldrum was a prelate
in the late 15th- and early 16th-century kingdom of Scotland
. He appears to have come from the Meldrum family of Seggie, as suggested by the otter
s on his arms
.
He was vicar of Brechin parish
and a canon
of the cathedral when providedbishop of Brechin
4 July 1488. His appointment had been foreseen before the death of his predecessor John Balfour
; by 4 June 1488 Meldrum had been selected to succeed to the bishopric upon the expected "resignation or death of the reverend father in Christ, John Balfour, now bishop of Brechin".
He was consecrated sometime between 30 January (described as "elect") and 7 July (described as "bishop") 1489. Bishop Meldrum is recorded for the last time in possession of the see on 8 December 1514, and is dead by 19 March 1516, dying at some stage between. He was succeeded by John Hepburn
.
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
in the late 15th- and early 16th-century kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
. He appears to have come from the Meldrum family of Seggie, as suggested by the otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s on his arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
He was vicar of Brechin parish
Brechin Cathedral
The cathedral church of the Holy Trinity in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, belongs to the 13th century. It is in the Pointed style, but suffered maltreatment in 1806 at the hands of restorers, whose work was subsequently removed during the restoration completed in 1902...
and a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the cathedral when providedbishop of Brechin
Bishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
4 July 1488. His appointment had been foreseen before the death of his predecessor John Balfour
John Balfour (bishop)
John Balfour was a 15th-century Scottish prelate. He was vicar of Linlithgow and rector of Conveth, before being provided as bishop of Brechin on 29 November 1465...
; by 4 June 1488 Meldrum had been selected to succeed to the bishopric upon the expected "resignation or death of the reverend father in Christ, John Balfour, now bishop of Brechin".
He was consecrated sometime between 30 January (described as "elect") and 7 July (described as "bishop") 1489. Bishop Meldrum is recorded for the last time in possession of the see on 8 December 1514, and is dead by 19 March 1516, dying at some stage between. He was succeeded by John Hepburn
John Hepburn (Bishop of Brechin)
John Hepburn was a 16th-century bishop from the kingdom of Scotland. Hepburn was provided bishop of Brechin by Pope Leo X on 29 October 1516, but there may have been a delay in consecrating him due to his "defect of age"...
.