Chapter XIII: Restoration,
1405-1459
The venerable John de Lithgow died on the 20th January, 1433. He was laid in the porch of the church, which he specially selected as his burying place, probably because it was that portion of the church which he had built during his incumbency, or because, in his humility, he deemed himself unworthy of a more sacred place of rest. He had governed the Monastery during the reigns of three Kings and twelve Popes, and he is the only Abbot of whom the monumental inscription is now to be seen. It is written on the inside of the porch of the church. It is in these words—
John of Lithgow, Ab-
bot of this Monastery, 20th day of the
Month of January, yr. of our Ld. 14
33, selected to be made his sepulchre.
In 1440 Thomas Morwe is still Abbot, [15] and we find him assisting in that year at a general council at Stirling, held specially by King James II. to take into consideration the distracted state of the country. The times, both in Church and State, were terribly out of joint. “Many and innumerable complaints were given into the council, the like of which were never seen before. There were so many widows, bairns and infants, seeking redress for their husbands, kindred, and friends, that were cruelly slain by wicked, bloody murderers, sic like, many for herschip, theft, and reif, that there was no man but he would have ruth and pity to hear the same.” [16] In 1444 Richard de Bodwell was elected Abbot. Of him we know only that he sent 590 florins to the Papal treasury on his appointment. His procurator, who made the payment, was Thomas de Tervas, a monk of Arbroath. In the year following this, Thomas appears himself as Abbot of Paisley, and pays the Pope's chamberlain a considerable sum of money on his own account. Richard had, in the meantime, been promoted to the Abbey of Dunfermline, and Thomas, his friend, being in Rome, procured the mitre of Paisley for himself. It was a happy appointment for Paisley, which the new Abbot governed for fourteen years with great ability. He had plenty to do on his accession in repressing disorder and restoring good government. The Convent was “in debt, and many of the churches in Lordis hands.” He set himself most vigorously to reform all this. Walas of Craigy is made to acknowledge, with sorrow and penitence, that he had greatly injured the Lord Abbot, in regard to the lands of Thornle, and to promise better behaviour for the future. [17] A Bull was procured from the Pope revoking leases of property which had been granted during the easy reign of his predecessors. [18] All such property was to be restored to the use of the Convent, notwithstanding any documents to the contrary, even letters of former Popes were not to be regarded, and the protection of the Bishop and of the King was invoked against a Laird named Robert Boyd of Tynwald, who had held a lease of certain rents of Largs, and who was very irate at being interfered with. [19] “Foralsmekill,” says the King's admonition to the refractory Robert, “as we ar inforrait that yhe adres yhow tobe at the Kyrk of Largyss on Friday nextocum, with a multitude of our liegess in feyre of were, in hurtyn and scath of our devote oratours the Abbot and Convent of Passelay, brekyn of our crya and offens of our Maiestie, Our will is, and straitly we charge yhou gif it sua be that ye desist tharof and mak na syk gaderin, undyr all the hiest payne and charge ye may inryne agane our Maiestie, and gif ye haif ochut aganes our said oratours, folond [20] thame as law will.”
[15] Scot. Acts of Par., Vol. II. Mr. D. Semple (Lairds of Glen, p. 13), plausibly infers that Thomas Tervas and Thomas Morwe may have been one and the same person. Mr. Brady, (“Episcopal Succession,” Rome, 1876,) however, has discovered, in making his investigations in the Vatican, that they were different persons.
[16] Pitscottie, Hist. of Scot., p. 24.
[17] Reg. de Pas., p. 83.
[18] Reg. de Pas., p. 416. This Bull, dated 1446, is directed to William Turnbul, Canon of Glasgow.
[19] Reg. de Pas., p. 245.
[20] Summon.