Alexander Stewart (died 1537) was a Scottish prelate; also known as Alexander Stewart of Pitcairn. He was the son of Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, and his first wife Catherine Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and Earl of Caithness. The marriage of his parents was dissolved in 1478 and his father remarried, but it was not until 1516 that an act of parliament made the marriage unlawful and ensured that Alexander jr would be regarded as legally illegitimate and unable to inherit his father's title.

His high birth, however, enabled a successful career in the church. He held Inchaffray Abbey from 1514 and Scone Abbey from 1518 in commendam. Between 1516 and 1518 he held a right to the commend of Whithorn Priory, a right he gave up to the papally-backed Silvio Passarini. He held the Collegiate Church of Dunbar from 1504 until at least 1510, and almost certainly beyond. He was Dean of Brechin from at least 1523, and perhaps as early as 1512. He was given crown nomination to the bishopric of Moray and then papal provision on September 13, 1529, after the failure of the candidature of Alexander Douglas. He was probably not consecrated until 1532. He was allowed to retain control of his monastic commends. He died on December 19, 1537.

[edit] References

• Dowden, John, The Bishops of Scotland, ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
• Keith, Robert, An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops: Down to the Year 1688, (London, 1924)
• Watt, D.E.R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)
• Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries, The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, (Edinburgh, 2001)

Religious titles
Preceded by Alexander Gifford	Dean of Dunbar Collegiate Church 1499 x 1504–1510 x 1524	Succeeded by Thomas Hay
Preceded by Hugh Douglas	Dean of Brechin 1512 x 1523–1534	Succeeded by Henry White
Preceded by Peter Accoltis	Commendator of Inchaffray 1514–1537	Succeeded by Gavin Dunbar
Preceded by Henry MacDowell	Commendator of Whithorn 1514–1537	Succeeded by Silvio Passarini
Preceded by James Abercrombie	Commendator of Scone 1518–1537	Succeeded by Patrick Hepburn
Preceded by Robert Shaw	Bishop of Moray 1529–1537	Succeeded by Patrick Hepburn

v • d • e Bishops of Moray Pre-Reformation Bishops of Moray Gregoir · William · Felix · Simon de Tosny · Richard de Lincoln · Bricius de Douglas · Andreas de Moravia · Simon de Gunby · Radulf · Archibald · David de Moravia · John de Pilmuir · Alexander Bur · William de Spynie · John de Innes · Henry de Lichton · Columba de Dunbar · John de Winchester · James Stewart · David Stewart · William de Tulloch · Andrew Stewart · Andrew Forman · James Hepburn · Robert Shaw · Alexander Douglas I · Alexander Stewart · Patrick Hepburn · Italics indicate non consecrated, titular or doubtful bishops or unsuccessful coadjutors Post-Reformation Bishops of Moray George Douglas · Alexander Douglas II · John Guthrie · Murdoch MacKenzie · James Aitken · Colin Falconer · Alexander Rose · William Hay

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