‘Mestre,’ ‘Magistro,’ “Master”? What’s this?
I’m spending three- or four days … more, actually … trying to figure out what is meant by Gilbert de Templeton being called Mestre and Magistro in the two places we find him in the historical record. I’ve reached out to a PhD that has translated Thomas Aquinus’ works & posted his effort online along with an email address, but haven’t heard back. (It’s worked before; I got an expert on archaic British languages to answer a question about ‘toun’/’ton’ a few years ago.) I’ve initiated an inter-library loan of a book that mentions Gilbert, but expect to find that the author merely mentions his signature on the Paisley charter without adding any insight to the man or his position as rector of the monastery on Bute.
While I wait for something definitive to come over the transom, I’ve decided to list all the others that are named on the Ragman Rolls with the titles ‘Mestre,’ or ‘Master’ (there are no Magistro honorifics) and to Google them up; try to see what they may have in common with Gilbert and — possibly more importantly — what they don’t have in common.
So far, I have looked into Mestre Neel Cambel,* who appears seven names after Gilbert on the Rolls, and found him to be an interesting, quite accomplished man. Not a cleric by occupation, which means that the title isn’t necessarily ecclesiastic, or at least not dependent upon being an active clergyman.
I’ve just done a once-through visual scan of the Rolls, but just in case there’s someone out there that wants to help run down biographies to see just what they may have in common with Gilbert, here’s the list (spelling & punctuation from the original):
- Master William de Kingorne rector of Lyston church
- also: Mestre William de Kynghorn ‘persone de Lystone del counte de Linliscu,’
- Mestre Gilbert de Templeton*
- Mestre Neel Cambel
- Mestre Matheu de Monros clerk
- Mestre Duncan de Carrke
- Mestre William de Rotherforde persone del eglise de Lillesclyve
- Mestre Richard le Keu
- Mestre Henry de Strivelyn del counte de Strivelyn
- Friar William ‘mestre de la meson de Seint Austyn’ of Seggedene
- Friar Thomas ‘mestre de la Trinite de Soltre’, del counte de Edneburk, Aleyn’ persone del eglise de Roule’
- Mestre Walram persone del eglise de Yetham,’
- Mestre Edmund de Ledham, del counte de Rokesburk
- Mestre William de Kynghorn ‘persone de Lystone del counte de Liniscu,’
- Mestre Nicol de Mertone persone del eglise de Kynathes
- Mestre Johan ‘archdeacon of Brechin,’ del counte de Forfar
- Master William of Dundee persone del eglise de Alnith
- William of Kirkuthbright master of the hospital of Turrithe, del counte de Banf
- Master Henry of Banf chancellor of Moray, del counte de Elgyn
- Master William Tylliol canon of same church
- Rauf master of the hospital of Laweder
- Friar Thomas master of the house of the Holy Rood of Pebbles
- Master Richard de Bouldone persone of the church of Edilstone
- Master William de Lambreton chancellor of the church of Glasgow
- Master Peres de Tillol persone of Cultre
- Wauter persone del eglise de Mortone and master of Culdestreme
- Master William de Goseford persone of Castlemilke
I’ll update this post with links as I come across them. But, until something definitive comes in about the whole Mestre/Master/Magistro thing, I just have a couple of observations about the above list:
1) ‘Mestre’ and ‘Master’ seem to be used interchangeably as a title, and seem to be used both as a title and as a job description,
2) While nearly all have some church post, there are a few whose principal occupation seems decidedly secular, or have none stated,
3) “persone” seems to mean “parson,
4) I’ve found that an apostrophe at the end of a word or name can mean that the word is contracted … an abbreviation.
Happy hunting.
- - -
* UPDATE 3/20/2011 - The “Mestre” Neel Cambel of the Ragman Rolls is, I’ve discovered, more likely the cleric — cousin, probably — of the famous Neil Campbell that was Robert I’s lieutenant and confidante. There’s more on this discovery on this blog’s entry, “Odds & ends.”
