The Abbot of Paisley (later Commendator of Paisley; Prior of Paisley before 1219) was the head of the Cluniac monastic community of Paisley Abbey and its property. The monastery was founded as a priory at Renfrew in 1163, but moved to Paisley in 1169. It became an abbey in 1219. The founder was Walter fitz Alan, Seneschal (Steward) of Scotland. The line of abbots ended when it was turned into a secular lordship for Lord Claud Hamilton in 1587/1592. The following is a list of abbots and commendators:

List of priors ???, 1163 x 1165Was prior at Renfrew. Name not known. Osbert, 1173-1180x1192 Roger, 1195 x 1196 -1208 x 1214

List of abbots ???, 1220First abbot, when Paisley became an abbey in 1219. Name not known. William, 1225/6 -1238, 1248? Stephen, 1272–1285 Walter, 1296 A[ ? ],Known only by initial A. 1301 Roger, 1318–1325 John, 1327 James, 1349 John, 1362–1370 John de Lithgow I, 1384-1408 x 1412 Alan de Govan, 1412 John de Lychcar, 1412 William de Cheshelme, 1414 Roland, 1414-1415Previously abbot of Crossraguel. John de Lithgow II (?Lychcar), 1415-1431 x 1432Previously abbot of Crossraguel. Thomas Morrow, 1418–1444 Richard Bothwell, 1444–1445 Thomas de Tarveis, 1445–1459 Henry Crichton, 1459–1471 Patrick Graham, 1466–1471 George Shaw, 1471–1499 Robert Shaw, 1498–1525

List of commendators John Hamilton, 1525-1553Became bishop of Dunkeld (1544/6-47), then archbishop of St Andrews (1547/9) until he died in 1571; maintained the commend of Paisley until 1553, when he granted it to his nephew. Claude Hamilton, 1553–1587 Robert Lord Sempill, 1569–1573 William Erskine, 1581-1584Became archbishop of Glasgow in 1585. Claude Hamilton, 1586-1592 as 1st Lord Paisley

See also Paisley Abbey

Notes

Bibliography Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, (London, 1976), pp. 64–5 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), pp. 167–73