Petitions to the Pope
Petitions to the Pope, 1342–1419
This small collection comes from the published calendar Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419, edited by W. H. Bliss and available through British History Online. Although the three surviving Guthrie-related references are Scottish, the source itself is a broader papal calendar rather than a specifically Scottish archival series.
For that reason this page uses the British Archive / Library palette rather than the Thistle theme. The Scottish context remains explicit in the content, while the presentation reflects the publication and record tradition of the source.
Master Index · Guthrie-Related References
| Date | Guthrie Reference | Focus | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 1381 | Alexander de Guthri | Royal chaplain; petition for Glasgow canonry while retaining Kinnell | |
| 3 Jan 1416 | Canonry and prebend of Guttry | Brechin Cathedral benefice held by Patrick de Howiston | |
| 15 Jan 1418 | Canonry and prebend of Guthry | Follow-up over failed resignation of the Brechin prebend |
Volume LVIII: 3 Clement VII. Anti-Pope / p. 557 (Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419)
Surname-bearing individual
4 Kal. Feb. (29 January) 1381, Avignon.
- Alexander de Guthri (Alexander Guthrie), chaplain of the King of Scots
Beneficiary of a papal petition (submitted by the king on his behalf) for a canonry of Glasgow with expectation of a prebend.
Petition by Robert II for a canonry in the cathedral church of Glasgow (with the expectation of a prebend) to be granted to his chaplain Alexander de Guthri, notwithstanding that Alexander already held the parish church of Kynel (Kinnell) in the diocese of St Andrews. The petition was granted by Anti-Pope Clement VII.
Latin (presented here in the English calendar summary of the petition).
Other Primary Parties
- Robert, king of Scots (Robert II) – petitioner on behalf of his chaplain
- The church of Kynel (Kinnell), diocese of St Andrews – existing benefice held by Alexander
Calendar Translation
Robert, king of Scots. On behalf of his chaplain, Alexander de Guthri, for a canonry of Glasgow, with expectation of a prebend, notwithstanding that he has the church of Kynel, in the diocese of St. Andrews. Granted. Avignon, 4 Kal. Feb.
Why This Record Matters
This is one of the earliest securely dated references to a Guthrie in royal service. In January 1381 Alexander Guthrie was already serving as domestic chaplain to Robert II and held the rectory of Kinnell (Angus). The successful petition for a Glasgow canonry shows him receiving additional preferment while retaining his existing parish. Kinnell lies in the deanery of Angus, within the core territory later associated with the Guthrie of that Ilk and related cadet lines. The entry therefore supplies a fixed 1381 anchor for a Guthrie holding both royal household office and an Angus benefice more than a generation before the better-documented fifteenth-century figures.
Terms & Practices
- Canonry with expectation of a prebend: a place in a cathedral chapter that carried the right to a future prebend (a specific income attached to a stall) when one became vacant.
- Notwithstanding clause: standard papal language allowing the petitioner to hold the new benefice in plurality with an existing one.
- 4 Kal. Feb.: 4 Kalends of February = 29 January (Roman calendar reckoning counting backwards from the Kalends).
- Anti-Pope Clement VII: Robert of Geneva; recognised by Scotland and France during the Western Schism (1378–1417). Petitions from Scotland in this period were directed to the Avignon obedience.
‘Volume LVIII: 3 Clement VII. Anti-Pope’, in Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419, ed. W. H. Bliss (London, 1896), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/petitions-to-pope/1342-1419/pp556-560 [accessed 31 July 2026].
Volume LXXXVIII: 13 to 25 Benedict XIII. Anti-Pope / p. 605 (Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419)
Place / ecclesiastical benefice reference
3 Non. Jan. (3 January) 1416, Peñiscola (an. 22).
- None as persons. The entry concerns the canonry and prebend of Guttry (Guthrie) in the cathedral church of Brechin.
The prebend of Guttry in Brechin is named as an existing holding of Patrick de Howiston, expected to become vacant upon his obtaining the canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow.
Patrick de Howiston seeks surrogation into the right of William de Gowan in the disputed canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow. In the same sequence Alexander Barberii petitions for the canonry and prebend of Guttry in Brechin (value 10 marks) on its expected voidance by Patrick obtaining Renfrew.
Latin (presented here in the English calendar summary of the petitions).
Other Primary Parties
- Patrick de Howiston (also Howeston / Huyston), canon of Brechin, J.U.B. – current holder of the Guttry prebend; petitioner for surrogation into Renfrew
- William de Gowan (Govan), canon of Moray – other party in the Renfrew litigation
- Alexander Barberii, canon, prebendary and archdeacon of Caithness – petitioner for the expected voidance of Guttry
Calendar Translation
Patrick de Howiston, canon of Brechin, J.U.B. Whereas the suit between him and William de Gowan touching the canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow, value 25l. old sterling, is undecided, and William has obtained another canonry and prebend in the said church, he prays for surrogation to William in his right to the same, notwithstanding that he has the canonry and prebend of Guttry in Brechin, and the perpetual vicarage of Lindidgu, in the diocese of St. Andrews. Granted. Dated as above.
Alexander Barberii, canon, prebendary, and archdeacon of Caithness. For the canonry and prebend of Guttry in Brechin, value 10 marks, on their voidance by Patrick de Howiston obtaining the canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow, notwithstanding that he has also the church of Abernit, in the diocese of Dunkeld. Granted. Dated as above.
Why This Record Matters
These linked petitions of January 1416 provide clear contemporary evidence that a canonry and prebend named Guttry / Guthrie existed in Brechin Cathedral at this date and was valued at 10 marks. Patrick de Howiston held it while litigating for the more valuable Renfrew prebend in Glasgow; Alexander Barberii was provided to Guttry in expectation of that move. The existence of a prebend of this name in Brechin is of direct interest for the early history of the Guthrie family and the association of the surname with ecclesiastical benefices in Angus and the Mearns.
Terms & Practices
- Surrogation: substitution of one petitioner into the legal right or claim of another in a pending suit or provision.
- J.U.B. (Juris Utriusque Baccalaureus): Bachelor of Both Laws (canon and civil).
- Value 10 marks: the assessed annual value of the Guttry prebend.
- Notwithstanding clause: standard formula allowing plurality of benefices.
‘Volume LXXXVIII: 13 to 25 Benedict XIII. Anti-Pope’, in Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419, ed. W. H. Bliss (London, 1896), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/petitions-to-pope/1342-1419/pp594-612 [accessed 31 July 2026].
Volume LXXXVIII: 13 to 25 Benedict XIII. Anti-Pope / p. 608 (Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419)
Place / ecclesiastical benefice reference
18 Kal. Feb. (15 January) 1418, Peñiscola (an. 24).
- None as persons. The entry again concerns the canonry and prebend of Guthry (Guthrie) in Brechin.
The prebend of Guthry in Brechin is referenced as the benefice that Patrick de Howiston had been ordered to resign in favour of Alexander Barberii, but which he had failed to resign.
Alexander Barberii seeks surrogation into the right of William de Govan in the long-running suit over the canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow. The petition rehearses the earlier papal order that Patrick, on obtaining Renfrew, was to resign the canonry and prebend of Guthry in Brechin so that they could be given to Alexander; Patrick had not resigned them.
Latin (presented here in the English calendar summary of the petition).
Other Primary Parties
- Alexander Barberii – petitioner
- William de Govan (Gowan) – previous party in the Renfrew suit
- Patrick de Huyston (Howiston) – former holder of the Guthry prebend who failed to resign it
- Walter de Danialston, W. de Glendenbin, Alexander de Laweder – other parties mentioned in the complex Renfrew litigation history
Calendar Translation
Alexander Barberii. For surrogation to W. de Govan in his right to the canonry and prebend of Renfrew in Glasgow, value 30l. old sterling, about which a suit between W. de Govan and Patrick de Huyston was pending in the Roman court \ldots the pope having ordered Govan to desist from the suit, and that Patrick, on obtaining the canonry and prebend, should resign those of Guthry in Brechin, which were to be given to Alexander, but Patrick did not resign them, asserting that this would be done without his assent \ldots Granted. Dated as above.
Why This Record Matters
This 1418 follow-up confirms that the earlier provision of the Guttry/Guthry prebend in Brechin to Alexander Barberii had not taken effect because Patrick de Howiston refused to resign it. The repeated naming of the prebend (Guttry in 1416, Guthry in 1418) strengthens the evidence for a formally established prebend of that name within Brechin Cathedral in the early fifteenth century.
Terms & Practices
- Surrogation: see previous entry.
- Papal chaplain: a privileged status that could affect the voidance or reservation of benefices.
- The entry illustrates the practical difficulties of enforcing resignation conditions attached to papal provisions when the incumbent resisted.
‘Volume LXXXVIII: 13 to 25 Benedict XIII. Anti-Pope’, in Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419, ed. W. H. Bliss (London, 1896), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/petitions-to-pope/1342-1419/pp594-612 [accessed 31 July 2026].
Historical Context
Alexander de Guthri · Royal Service
The 1381 petition is the only entry here naming a Guthrie person. Alexander was already chaplain to Robert II and rector of Kinnell when the king sought additional provision for him at Glasgow.
Guttry / Guthry · A Brechin Prebend
The 1416 and 1418 petitions concern a canonry and prebend named Guttry/Guthry in Brechin Cathedral. These are place or benefice references rather than Guthrie-surname persons.
The Western Schism
Scotland adhered to the Avignon obedience during the Western Schism. The petitions therefore appear under Clement VII and Benedict XIII, whom the calendar labels anti-popes.
Why the Entries Matter Together
Taken together, the three notices show a Guthrie in royal ecclesiastical service by 1381 and a formally named Guthrie-related prebend at Brechin by 1416–1418—two distinct but complementary forms of early documentary evidence.
Sources & Access
Publication: W. H. Bliss, ed., Petitions to the Pope 1342–1419 (London, 1896).
Online access: British History Online provides the published calendar pages used for all three entries on this page.
Evidence practice: these are calendar summaries of papal petitions rather than images of the original registers. For a major genealogical conclusion, the calendar should be treated as a highly useful finding aid and checked against the underlying papal register material or a fuller scholarly edition where available.
Guthrie Genealogy · Special CollectionsPapal Petition Calendars · British Archive / Library