Robert Reid O. Cist. | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Orkney | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Arms_of_Abbot_Robert_Reid_from_Kinloss_Abbey.jpg) Coat of Arms of Robert Reid | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Metropolis | St Andrews |
| Diocese | Orkney |
| In office | 1541-1558 |
| Predecessor | Robert Maxwell |
| Successor | Adam Bothwell |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | c. 1519 (priest) |
| Consecration | 1529 (abbatial blessing) 1541 (bishop) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1496 – c. 1499 |
| Died | 6 September 1558 Dieppe, Normandy, France |
| Buried | Church of St Jacques, Dieppe in the Chapel of St Andrew |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Parents | John Reid and Elizabeth (Bessata) Schanwell |
| Education | Master of Arts (1511 – 1515) Post graduate, prob. France (1515 – 1518) |
| Alma mater | St Salvator's College, St Andrews University |
| Motto | Moderate |
| Signature | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Signature_of_Robert_Reid_Abbot_of_Kinloss.jpg){kind=small} |
Robert Reid (died 1558) was Abbot of Kinloss, Commendator-prior of Beauly, and Bishop of Orkney. He was born at Aikenhead in Clackmannan parish, the son of John Reid (killed at the Battle of Flodden) and Elizabeth Schanwell. His formal education began in 1511 at St Salvator's College in St Andrews University under the supervision of his uncle, Robert Schanwell, dean of the faculty of arts. Reid graduated in 1515 and by 1524 was subdean at Elgin Cathedral where, by 1527, he was Official[note 1] of Moray. Thomas Chrystall, the abbot of Kinloss, chose Reid as his successor in 1526. In 1527, as abbot-designate, he attended the court of Pope Clement VII on abbacy business. While returning via Paris in 1528, Reid met the Piedmontese humanist scholar Giovanni Ferrerio who accompanied him back to Scotland. Following Chrystall's resignation in July 1528, Reid was blessed as abbot in September and received the Priory of Beauly, in commendam, in 1531. In that same year, Ferrerio left the court of James V to join Reid at Kinloss as tutor to the monks of both Kinloss and Beauly. Reid held many offices of state between 1532 and 1542 including ambassadorial roles to England and France and as a senior law official. He considerably improved the external and internal fabric of both monasteries in 1538.
In the spring of 1541, James V nominated Reid to the vacant bishopric of Orkney with his consecration taking place in late November. King James died in 1542 and James Hamilton, Earl of Arran was appointed regent during Queen Mary's minority. Bishop Reid aligned himself with Cardinal Beaton in his dislike of the pro-English stance of Arran. Beaton's resistance to the regent's viewpoint led to his arrest and the cardinal's supporters chose Reid to negotiate with Arran for Beaton's release in 1543. Reid's attempts were rejected but the cardinal's freedom was gradually restored. Despite his support of Beaton, Reid was elected to the influential Lord of the Articles committee of parliament. This position also brought with it membership of the regent's privy council. Parliament approved the Treaty of Greenwich, concluded in July 1543, that would pave the way to a betrothal between Queen Mary and Prince Edward of England. On 11 December, a renunciation of the treaty was passed by parliament and resulted in the English King Edward's declaration of war on Scotland that lasted nearly eight years and came to be known as the Rough Wooing.
In August 1544, Bishop Reid travelled to Kirkwall's St Magnus Cathedral, the seat of his Orkney bishopric, and immediately began structural improvements to the diocesan buildings and reforms to the cathedral chapter. Reid became President of the Court of Justice in February 1549. He relinquished his abbacy of Kinloss to his nephew Walter Reid in 1550 and that same year sat at the heresy trial of Adam Wallace. His services continued to be in demand and in June 1551 he was a commissioner appointed to treat for peace with England. In May 1554, Reid was a curator to the young Queen Mary. Shortly before embarking for France to attend the Queen's wedding to the Dauphin in 1558, Reid made out his last will and testament that allowed for a college to be established in Edinburgh that was to consist of grammar, arts and law schools with all necessary accommodation. Reid's ship was wrecked near Boulogne but both he and his fellow commissioner, the Earl of Rothes, survived to witness the royal marriage at Nôtre-Dame Cathedral. On reaching Dieppe on his journey home, Reid and fellow commissioners fell ill and on 6 September 1558, he died and was buried in Dieppe's church of St Jacques.
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