Alexander Lauder

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Alexander de Lawedre (d. October 11, 1440, Edinburgh) was for the last five months of his life Bishop of Dunkeld, where he had previously been Archdeacon. There is confusion amongst writers as to his parentage, with some giving him as a son of Alan de Lawedre of Haltoun, and Keith, in his revision of Spottiswoode, giving him as brother-german to William de Lawedre. However the Scotichronicon (Edinburgh 1759) and John Dowden correctly state he is "frater uterinus" to William Lauder, Bishop of Glasgow.

Alexander was a natural son of Sir Robert de Lawedre, Knt., of Edrington (d.1425) by an unknown mistress, and would have been born in the 14th century.

In a supplication recorded at Rome on December 2, 1420 it states: 'Nova proviso' (new provision) by (formerly, before his deposition), Peter de Luna (Avignon Pope Benedict XIII) who gave His mandate of provision of the parish church of Ratho, Diocese of St. Andrews, to Alexander de Lawedre, subdeacon of the said diocese, brother of the Bishop of Glasgow, Licentiate in Decrees of Paris and Archdeacon of Dunkeld, who obtained peaceable possession of same.

Alexander had at least four Safe-conducts issued to him to travel abroad. Joseph Bain mentions him in several issued by Henry VI and found also in Rotuli Scotiae on May 13 and November 19 and 30, 1423, which include "Alexander de Lawedre, archidiaconus Dunkelden in Scotia". With "Magr. Edwardus de Laweder, archidiaconus de Lothian" he is again mentioned on March 4, 1424-5.

In May 1440 he was nominated at the request of King James II of Scotland as Bishop of Dunkeld. On June 6 1440, a Papal provision to that post was made for him, in which he was described as "a venerable man who was notable in every kind of upright behaviour".

He died unexpectedly, and before his formal consecration, at Edinburgh on October 11, 1440, and was buried within the parish church of Lauder.

[edit] References

Rotuli Scotiae in Turri Londinensi et in Domo Capitulari Westmonasteriensi asservati, London, 1814-19, 2 volumes.
Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome, edited by Lindsay & Cameron, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1934, pps: 235-6.
Scotichronicon, by Walter Bower, and edited by D.E.R.Watt, volume 8, Book XVI, p.299, Aberdeen University Press, 1987.