James Kennedy

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James Kennedy

Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Senior posting
See	Diocese of St Andrews
Title	Bishop of St Andrews
Period in office	1440–1465
Consecration	1438 (Dunkeld)
Predecessor	Henry Wardlaw
Successor	Patrick Graham
Previous bishoprics	Dunkeld
Personal
Date of birth	c. 1408
Place of birth	Carrick, Scotland.
Place of death	St Andrews, May 24, 1465

James Kennedy (Scottish Gaelic: Seumas Ceanadach; † 1465) was a 15th century Bishop of Dunkeld and Bishop of St. Andrews, who participated in the Council of Florence and was the last man to govern the diocese of St. Andrews purely as bishop.

He was the son of Sir James Kennedy of Dunure and Princess Mary of Scotland, widow of the 1st Earl of Angus and second daughter of King Robert III of Scotland. He was a canon and sub-deacon of Dunkeld until his provision and election to that see on July 1, 1437, after the death of Domhnall MacNeachdainn, the last elected bishop who died on his way to obtain consecration from the Pope. He received consecration in 1438, the following year.

Bishop James, however, was not Bishop of Dunkeld for long. The death of Henry Wardlaw left the bishopric of St Andrews, the most prestigious Scottish see, vacant, and it was James who was postulated to the vacancy. This occurred while James was at the court of Pope Eugenius IV, busy at Florence on the historical Council of Florence. However, before royal letters arrived bearing news of James' election, the Pope had already provided his translation to the see. Formal translation took place on June 8, 1440. He was an active and successful bishop.

He died sometime in the year 1465, and was succeeded to St. Andrews by Patrick Graham, Bishop of Brechin.

His neice, Katherine Kennedy, is comemorated to this day by the Kate Kennedy Club of the University of St Andrews who hold an annual procession in her honour.

[edit] Reference

• Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)

[edit] Further reading

• Dunlop, A. I., The Life and Times of James Kennedy, Bishop of St Andrews, (St Andrews, 1950)
• Macdougall, Norman, "Bishop James Kennedy of St Andrews: a reassessment of his political career", in Norman Macdougall (ed.), Church, Politics and Society: Scotland, 1408–1929, (1983), pp. 1–22
• Macdougall, Norman, "Kennedy, James (c.1408–1465)", in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 23 Feb 2007

Religious Posts
Preceded by Robert de Cardeny (consecrated) Domhnall MacNeachdainn (unconsecrated)	Bishop of Dunkeld 1437/8–1440	Succeeded by Alexander de Lawedre (unconsecrated) James Bruce (consecrated)
Preceded by Henry Wardlaw	Bishop of St Andrews (Cill Rìmhinn) 1440–1465	Succeeded by Patrick Graham (after 1472, Archbishop)
Academic Offices
Preceded by Henry Wardlaw, Archbishop of St Andrews	Chancellor of the University of St Andrews 1440 - 1465	Succeeded by Patrick Graham, Archbishop of St Andrews