William Fraser (Scottish Bishop)
William Fraser († August 20, 1297 ) was Bishop of St Andrews and Guardian of Scotland in the late 13th century . He was previously Dean of Glasgow and later Lord Chancellor of Scotland under Alexander III.
Life
William Fraser is first mentioned by name as Dean of Glasgow on the occasion of his appointment as Lord Chancellor in 1273. He had held the office of dean since 1271. Presumably he held the office of Lord Chancellor until 1279. During this time he was pastor of Ayr. On August 4, 1279 he was elected Bishop of St Andrews and the following year by Pope Nicholas III. confirmed therein. During the crisis he was responsible for the death of Alexander III. followed one of Scotland's leading political figures and was a member of the College of Guardians of Scotland from 1286 to 1291, which ruled until a year before John Balliol came to power. Even after Balliol's appointment as King of Scotland by Edward I in 1292, he remained one of the leading figures in Scottish politics. In 1295 he was sent to France to negotiate the alliance with the French king. He stayed in France for two years until his death, where he died on August 20, 1297 in "Artuyl". His remains were buried in Paris . His heart was sent to Scotland and there was buried in St Andrews by his successor William de Lamberton in one of the church walls near the tomb of Bishop Gamelin .
Web links
- AAM Duncan: Fraser, William (d.1297). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, Oxford et al. 2004, online edn, May 2011, viewed October 20, 2011.
literature
- John Dowden: The Bishops of Scotland, being notes on the lives of all Bishops, under each of the Sees, prior to the Reformation. Edited by John Maitland Thomson. James MacLehose & Sons, Glasgow 1912.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| William Wishart |
Bishop of St Andrews 1279–1297 |
William de Lamberton |
|
Alexander Stewart , Patrick III. |
Guardian of Scotland 1286–1292 Co-regents: Alexander Comyn († 1289), Robert Wishart , John II. Comyn , James Stewart , John de Warenne |
Bryan FitzAlan |
| William Wishart |
Lord Chancellor of Scotland 1273–1279 (?) |
Thomas Charteris |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fraser, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish Bishop, Regent and Lord Chancellor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 13th Century |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 20, 1297 |
| Place of death | Artuyl |