This article is about the historical diocese of the Scottish church. For the restored Roman Catholic diocese, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen. For other uses, see Diocese of Aberdeen (disambiguation).
Diocese of Aberdeen
Head
Bishop of Aberdeen
Archdeacon(s)
Archdeacon of Aberdeen
Known rural deans
Aberdeen, Boyne, Buchan, Garioch, Mar
First attestation
1131 x 1132
Metropolitan before 1472
None
Metropolitan after 1492
Archbishop of St Andrews
Cathedral
St Machar's Cathedral
Dedication
St Machar
Native dedication
Saint Machar
Canons
Secular
Catholic successor
Resurrected 4 March 1878 (see Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen)
Episcopal successor
Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney
The Diocese of Aberdeen was originally believed to be the direct continuation of an 11th-century bishopric at Mortlach in present-day Moray. However, this early date and also the first bishops were based on a misinterpretation and reliance on early charters found in the cartulary of Aberdeen Cathedral that are now known to be false. The first recorded bishop of the diocese was Nectan, who was mentioned in the Book of Deer around 1132. The first direct written evidence of a bishop in Aberdeen is found in a papal bull addressed to Bishop Edward in 1157. This bull acknowledges the existence of his cathedral, discusses the formation of a chapter, and marks the start of the expansion of the diocesan structure.
The parochial system in Scotland had been developing since the early Middle Ages and saw significant progress under David I. He clarified the rights of the local church in terms of territory and jurisdiction. His reforms ensured that parishioners could support their priests by providing tiends, while local lords retained their rights to build churches and appoint priests. Over time, the lords’ rights to patronise churches shifted to the cathedral and the monasteries, enriching these institutions at the expense of the parishes. The cathedral, with its expanding number of canonries, used the appropriated income to sustain them. The beneficiary canons had a duty to ensure an income for the parish vicars but the stipends were generally meagre.
Reconstruction of the cathedral commenced in the late 14th century and extended into the 16th century.
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