CULLEN, Alexander, Master ¹

   User ID: X379.

  General Notes:

"The eventual constitution of the vicarage of St Nicholas' as a provostry, and its formal elevation to the status of a collegiate church is an event that survives only in a brief entry in the council register of 12 January 1614/15 which records the gift of 28 March 1540. 'The Quhilk day Maister Alexander Cullen gawe in and exhibit in presence of the prowest and baillies and counsall ane gift of the vicarage off Sanct Nicolas kirk of Aberdene with all and sindrie the fruictis oblationes and rentis thairof vsit and wount gewin be vrnquhill Willeame Gordoun Bischop off Aberdeine with consent of the Deane and Chapture thairof to the College of the Chaplenis of the said Sanct Nicolas kirk and thair successouris for sustentatioun of ane prouest to serve perpetuallie in the said kirk To be callit In all tyme thaireftir ane prowestrie'.

Although placed among the towns evidents, the actual document is now lost. No further details of this foundation are known, beyond the fact that a proportion of the vicarage fruits were retained by the bishop to support six choir boys in the Cathedral. (page 94)

"SS THOMAS APOSTLE & GEORGE MARTYR
Endowed with £8 16s 8d on 18 Apr. 1491 by Thomas Prat, burgess of Aberdeen, the chaplain was held to be present at the canonical hours of the choir, to make personal residence within the burgh and to hold no benefice, chaplainry or service outwith the parish church. If he was so promoted, the chaplainry was to be regarded as void. Patronage was to be retained by the patron and his heirs, in default of whose presentation within forty days the gift for that turn should pass to the provost and baillies. Should the chaplain fail in service in choir or at altar for forty days continuously, he was to be deprived. The gift passed to Prat's
heiresses and their spouses. On 23 Apr.1539 Robert Cullen appears as patron for that turn, giving possession to Mr Alexander
Cullen. On 1 Aug. 1560 Elizabeth Prat, one of the daughters of late Thomas Prat appears as one of the two patronesses of the altar." (page 285)

from Medieval Burgh Kirk ¹

  Research Notes:

"MR ALEXANDER CULLEN"

Two men are referred to as "Mr Alexander Cullen" in Aberdeen, in the first half of the 16th century, who have been confused. One was the "Rector of Oyne", who died in 1514. The other, without that designation, was alive much later, at about 1539-1540.


PARENTAGE AND FAMILY

This Alexander Cullen is place here speculatively. The relationship to the Cullens who were patrons of the Cullen alter suggests he was a member of this family and his dates suggest this sort of placing.

PROVOST

This word can refer to the leader or head of a civic or a religious group.In Roman Catholic and Anglican Church organisation it may designate the prelate in charge of the administration of a cathedral. In university life it may refer to the head of a college or of departmental staff; in civic life, the chief magistrate in a local government system. ^{1 2}