Henry Wemyss
| Henry Wemyss | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Galloway | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Diocese of Galloway |
| In office | 1526–1541 |
| Predecessor | David Arnot |
| Successor | Andrew Durie |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | after 1 March 1526 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | unknown unknown |
| Died | 14 March × 21 May 1541 |
| Previous post |
Official of Galloway (1512 × 1517–1522 × 1526) Archdeacon of Galloway (1513 × 1522–1531) |
Henry Wemyss (died 1541) was a prelate from the 16th century Kingdom of Scotland. He appears in the sources in the bishopric of Galloway for the first time in 1517, and rose to become Bishop of Galloway in 1526, a position he held until his death in 1541.
He was said to have been the son of John Wemyss, fifth son of Sir John Wemyss of Wemyss, by a daughter of Sir John Arnot of Arnot (in Fife); if true, this would make him a relative of David Arnot, sometime Bishop of Galloway who resigned that bishopric in Wemyss' favour;Robert Keith thought he may have been related to King James V, as a brother, but this was a mistake based on textual misreading (mispunctuating) which resulted in Henry's name being confused with that of James Stewart, Earl of Moray, the King's actual brother.
Henry is found as the Official of the diocese of Galloway on 8 February 1517, and again on 16 January 1522; the last known holder of this position occurred on 12 March 1512, so that Henry must have taken this position at some point between 1512 and 1517. Henry was parson of the parish church of Auchterderran (Outherdekan), Fife, in the diocese of St Andrews, and is found to be Archdeacon of Galloway on 9 December 1522; like his position as Official, it not known when he ascended the archdeaconry, and the last occurrence of a predecessor occurs on 9 November 1513.
Henry Wemyss received provision to the bishopric of Galloway (with the position of Dean of the Chapel Royal, Stirling) when David Arnot resigned his bishopric on 23/4 January 1526; Arnot retained right of return upon any future vacancy and half of the revenue of the diocese. Although Arnot also resigned his position as Commendator of Tongland for, once again, a lifelong pension and with right of return on vacancy, Arnot may have effectively held on to Tongland Abbey for a few more years; repeated crown nominations of Wemyss to Tongland failed, apparently because of Arnot, while William Stewart, a canon of Glasgow Cathedral, also got crown nomination until the Pope finally agreed to give Bishop Henry Wemyss Tongland Abbey in commendam in 1530, with Stewart resigning his rights.
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