.gif)
William Russell (bishop)
Encyclopedia
William Russell was a fourteenth-century Cistercian prelate
. He appears to have begun his career as a Cistercian monk at Rushen Abbey
on the Isle of Man
(Mann), ascending to the rank of abbot
there, before being elected Bishop of Mann and the Isles
(Sodor). After traveling to Continental Europe
for confirmation and consecration
, avoiding a trip to the metropolitan in Norway
, he returned to the Irish Sea as a legal bishop. A few things are known of his episcopate, particularly his activities in England
and a series of provincial statutes apparently promulgated under his leadership.
of Mann
, an island in the Irish Sea
south of Galloway
in Scotland
, for eighteen years he was the abbot
of Rushen Abbey
. In either 1348 or 1349 he was elected Bishop of Mann and the Isles
. Papal letters reveal that the see had recently been made vacant by the death of Thomas de Rossy
, and that the clergy of the diocese had elected William unanimously as the new bishop; they also reveal that Russell had had to obtain permission from the abbot at Rushen Abbey's mother-house, Furness Abbey
.
provided him on April 27, 1349, and he was consecrated by May 6, by Bertrand du Pouget
, Cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He was neither, as the Chronicle claimed the first Bishop of the Isles to be provided by the Pope himself, nor was he consecrated by the pope directly.
Pope Clement wrote letters informing of Russell's appointment to Arne, Archbishop of Trondheim, William de Monteacuto
, Lord of Mann
, Robert Stewart
, Lord of Bute
and Steward (senescallus) of Scotland, and John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
, and it was from these that the details of the election are known. The pope granted Russell exemption from any trip to Trondheim
to pay obedience to the Archbishop of Trondheim. Clement however made it clear that the bishopric of the Isles was still subject to Trondheim, and Russell still had to send a proctor
to Norway to give obedience on his behalf. Russell was also granted a loan of 1200 gold florins to cover his expenses, as the diocese was one of the poorest in the Catholic Church.
s are attributed to this synod, including a requirement to teach the laity the apostolic creed in the Gaelic language
. In 1362, Russell complained to Pope Urban V
that his cathedral
on Mann had been occupied as a fortress by the Lord of Mann, and petitioned the pope to order that de Monteacuto restore the cathedral to the control of the clergy; the same letter also complained that, because of wars [between the Scots and the English], there were not enough men literate [in Latin] to fill benefice
s, and so Russell requested permission to ordain eight illiterates to priesthood. On December 7, 1367, Pope Urban wrote to the bishop regarding the wish of William de Monteacuto, Earl of Salisbury
and Lord of Mann, to found a Franciscan
house on Mann.
Russell was active in England during his episcopate. For instance, on December 11, 1351, the Archbishop of York
, William Zouche
, granted William commission to confer orders
in the diocese of York
, a commission that was renewed on October 21, 1353 by Zouche's successor John de Thoresby. Indeed, it was in England that Russell died. The Manx Chronicle reported his death as follows:
in Westmorland
, Lancashire
; the "monastery of St Mary of Furness" refers to Furness Abbey
in Cumbria
; the date the Chronicle meant was April 21, 1374.
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...
. He appears to have begun his career as a Cistercian monk at Rushen Abbey
Rushen Abbey
Rushen Abbey was an abbey on the Isle of Man, located near Ballasalla. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under Cistercian control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located two miles from Castle Rushen; the most important political entity on the island...
on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
(Mann), ascending to the rank of abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
there, before being elected Bishop of Mann and the Isles
Bishop of the Isles
The Bishop of the Isles or Bishop of Sodor was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Sodor, one of Scotland's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The bishopric, encompasing both the Hebrides and Mann, probably traces its origins as an ecclesiastical unity to the careers of Olaf, King of the Isles,...
(Sodor). After traveling to Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
for confirmation and consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
, avoiding a trip to the metropolitan in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, he returned to the Irish Sea as a legal bishop. A few things are known of his episcopate, particularly his activities in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and a series of provincial statutes apparently promulgated under his leadership.
Abbot of Rushen and election as bishop
A nativeManx people
The Manx are an ethnic group coming from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. They are often described as a Celtic people, though they have had a mixed background including Norse and English influences....
of Mann
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, an island in the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
south of Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, for eighteen years he was the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Rushen Abbey
Rushen Abbey
Rushen Abbey was an abbey on the Isle of Man, located near Ballasalla. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under Cistercian control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located two miles from Castle Rushen; the most important political entity on the island...
. In either 1348 or 1349 he was elected Bishop of Mann and the Isles
Bishop of the Isles
The Bishop of the Isles or Bishop of Sodor was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Sodor, one of Scotland's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The bishopric, encompasing both the Hebrides and Mann, probably traces its origins as an ecclesiastical unity to the careers of Olaf, King of the Isles,...
. Papal letters reveal that the see had recently been made vacant by the death of Thomas de Rossy
Thomas de Rossy (Bishop of the Isles)
Thomas de Rossy was a fourteenth-century Scottish prelate. He appears in the historical record for the first time in 1331, when Pope John XXII provided him to succeed Bernard as Bishop of the Isles. At this stage, the papal sources name him as a canon of Dunkeld Cathedral.Probably while at the...
, and that the clergy of the diocese had elected William unanimously as the new bishop; they also reveal that Russell had had to obtain permission from the abbot at Rushen Abbey's mother-house, Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness is a former monastery situated on the outskirts of the English town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, behind only Fountains Abbey in North...
.
Provision and consecration
For notice of the election, the Manx Chronicle related the following:William Russell, a Manxman, abbot of the monastery of St. Mary of Rushen, was elected pastor of the Sodor diocese, by the clergy of the island of Mann, in the cathedral church of St. German, in Holm of Mann, and was consecrated at Avignon by Pope Clement VI. He was the first Sodor bishop-elect consecrated and confirmed by the Apostolic see; for all his predecessors had been wont to be confirmed and consecrated by the Archbishop of Trondheim, that is the metropolitan.Although the Chronicle says 1348, it is thought by some to refer to 1349. Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
provided him on April 27, 1349, and he was consecrated by May 6, by Bertrand du Pouget
Bertrand du Pouget
Bertrand du Pouget was a French papal diplomat and Cardinal.He may have been a nephew of Pope John XXII. As cardinal he was closely involved in dealing with the practical consequences of the migration of the papacy to Avignon, and also in striving to uphold papal prestige in Italy, for example by...
, Cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He was neither, as the Chronicle claimed the first Bishop of the Isles to be provided by the Pope himself, nor was he consecrated by the pope directly.
Pope Clement wrote letters informing of Russell's appointment to Arne, Archbishop of Trondheim, William de Monteacuto
William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury
Sir William II Montague, alias de Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, 4th Baron Montacute, King of Mann, KG was an English nobleman and commander in the English army during King Edward III's French campaigns in the Hundred Years War.He was born in Donyatt in Somerset, the eldest son of William...
, Lord of Mann
King of Mann
The King of Mann was the title taken between 1237 and 1504 by the various rulers, both sovereign and suzerain, over the Kingdom of Mann – the Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea, at the centre of the British Isles....
, Robert Stewart
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
, Lord of Bute
Isle of Bute
Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
and Steward (senescallus) of Scotland, and John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
John of Islay was the Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself Dominus Insularum, "Lord of the Isles"; because this is the first ever recorded instance of the title in use, modern historians count John as the first of the later medieval Lords of the Isles, although...
, and it was from these that the details of the election are known. The pope granted Russell exemption from any trip to Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
to pay obedience to the Archbishop of Trondheim. Clement however made it clear that the bishopric of the Isles was still subject to Trondheim, and Russell still had to send a proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
to Norway to give obedience on his behalf. Russell was also granted a loan of 1200 gold florins to cover his expenses, as the diocese was one of the poorest in the Catholic Church.
Bishop of the Isles
On February 23, 1351, Bishop Russell allegedly held a provincial synod at Kirkmichael on the Isle of Man. A number of provincial statuteStatute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s are attributed to this synod, including a requirement to teach the laity the apostolic creed in the Gaelic language
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
. In 1362, Russell complained to Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
that his cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
on Mann had been occupied as a fortress by the Lord of Mann, and petitioned the pope to order that de Monteacuto restore the cathedral to the control of the clergy; the same letter also complained that, because of wars [between the Scots and the English], there were not enough men literate [in Latin] to fill benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s, and so Russell requested permission to ordain eight illiterates to priesthood. On December 7, 1367, Pope Urban wrote to the bishop regarding the wish of William de Monteacuto, Earl of Salisbury
Earl of Salisbury
Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in British history. It has a complex history, being first created for Patrick de Salisbury in the middle twelfth century. It was eventually inherited by Alice, wife of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster...
and Lord of Mann, to found a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
house on Mann.
Russell was active in England during his episcopate. For instance, on December 11, 1351, the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, William Zouche
William Zouche
William Zouche or William de la Zouche, was a medieval Archbishop of York.Zouche was a younger son of William, Lord Zouche of Haringworth, in Northamptonshire. He was appointed Archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1329. On 12 July 1330, he was collated Archdeacon of Exeter...
, granted William commission to confer orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
in the diocese of York
Diocese of York
The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire....
, a commission that was renewed on October 21, 1353 by Zouche's successor John de Thoresby. Indeed, it was in England that Russell died. The Manx Chronicle reported his death as follows:
He died on the 21st day of the month of April 1376, at Ramsheved, and was buried in the monastery of St. Mary of Furness. He was abbot of Rushen eighteen years, and bishop of the Sodor diocese twenty-six.Ramsheved is Ramshead, near Bolton-le-Sands
Bolton-le-Sands
Bolton-le-Sands is a large village and civil parish of the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. The parish had a population of 4,098 recorded in the 2001 census,...
in Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
; the "monastery of St Mary of Furness" refers to Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness is a former monastery situated on the outskirts of the English town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, behind only Fountains Abbey in North...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
; the date the Chronicle meant was April 21, 1374.