Diocese of Galloway

55°04′08″N 3°36′29″W / 55.069°N 3.608°W

Head	Bishop of Galloway
Archdeacon(s)	Archdeacon of Galloway
Known rural deans	Desnes, Farines, Rhinns
First attestation	9 December 1128
Metropolitan before 1472	Archbishop of York
Metropolitan after 1492	Archbishop of Glasgow
Cathedral	Whithorn Priory
Dedication	Martin of Tours
Native dedication	Ninian (Uinniau, Finnian)
Canons	Premonstratensian canons
Mensal churches	Girthon; Inch; Kirkinner; Rhinns.
Common churches	Borgue; Clayshant; Cruggleton; Gelston; Glasserton; Great Sorbie; Kilcolmkill; Kirkandrews; Kirkdale; Kirkinner; Kirkmaiden; Kirkmichael; Little Sorbie; Longcastle; Mochrum; Toskerton; Whithorn; Wigtown.
Prebendal churches	Kells; Penninghame.
Catholic successor	Resurrected: 1876
Episcopal successor	Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway

The Diocese of Galloway was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the pre-1689 Scottish Church. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Galloway and was centred on Whithorn Cathedral.

In the Middle Ages, there was only one archdeacon, the Archdeacon of Galloway. There are three known deaneries, the deaneries of Desnes (Kirkcudbright), Farines (Wigtown) and Rhinns. The deaneries of Farines and Rhinns had been combined by the 16th century.

List of bishops

• See Bishop of Galloway

List of archdeacons

• See Archdeacon of Galloway

List of cathedral priors

• See Prior of Whithorn

List of known rural deans

Early known rural deans

• Mac Bethad or Máel Bethad, fl. 1165 x 1174
• James, 1185 x 1197

List of known deans of Desnes

• Matthew, 1200 x 1209-1209 x 1222
• Thomas, fl. 1250
• John Wallace, fl. 1331
• Herbert Dunn, fl. 1529.

List of known deans of Farines

• William, fl. 1200 x 1209
• S.[...], fl. 1254-1257

List of known deans of Rhinns

• Gilbert, fl. 1200 x 1209

List of known deans of Farines and Rhinns

• John MacCraken, fl. 1538-1552
• Michael Hawthorn, fl. 1559

List of civil parishes

1. Anwoth
2. Balmaclellan
3. Balmaghie
4. Balnacross
5. Borgue
6. Buittle
7. Clayshant
8. Colmonell
9. Colvend
10. Crossmichael
11. Cruggleton
12. Dalry
13. Dunrod
14. Galtway
15. Gelston
16. Girthon
17. Glasserton
18. Glenluce
19. Inch
20. Kells
21. Kelton
22. Kirkandrews
23. Kirkbean
24. Kirkbride a.k.a. Blaiket
25. Kirkchrist
26. Kirkcolm
27. Kirkcormack
28. Kirkcowan
29. Kirkcudbright
30. Kirkdale
31. Kirkgunzeon
32. Kirkinner
33. Kirkmabreck
34. Kirkmadrine
35. Kirkmaiden
36. Kirkpatrick Durham
37. Kirkpatrick Irongray
38. Leswalt
39. Lochrutton
40. Longcastle
41. Minigaff
42. Mochrum
43. New Abbey a.k.a. Kinderloch
44. Parton
45. Penninghame
46. Portpatrick
47. Rerrick
48. Senwick
49. Sorbie
50. Soulseat
51. Southwick
52. Stoneykirk
53. Terregles
54. Tongland
55. Toskerton
56. Troqueer
57. Twynholm
58. Urr
59. Whithorn (Cathedral)
60. Wigtown

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Galloway, Scotland 1128-1558 and to 1689 was a defunct roman catholic diocese of the Catholic Church.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Diocese of Galloway — (Gallovidiana).

Situated in the southwest of Scotland. It comprises the Counties of Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, and Wigtown and about four-fifths of the County of Ayr, thus embracing a territory of 3347 square miles and a general population of 373,670, of which Catholics form only a small fraction. From an historical point of view, a singular interest attaches to this diocese since it is certainly the most ancient ecclesiastical foundation in Scotland, its founder and first bishop, St. Ninian, being "the first authentic personages that meets us in the succession of Scottish missionaries" (Belleshiem). This illustrious saint, a Briton, born on the Solway shore, educated at Rome and consecrated bishop by St. Siricius, founded his episcopal see at Whithorn and dedicated his cathedral to St. Martin of Tours, in 397; and, having evangelized the country as far north as the Grampian mountains, died about 432. The dates here given are on the authority of the majority of Scottish writers.

The original title of the see was "Whitherne" (Quhitherne), latinized "Witerha" and (more frequently) "Candida Casa", signifying the White House so called, St. Bede tells us, from the structure and appearance of the church erected by St. Ninian "in a style unusual among the Britons". At what precise date the territorial title of "Galloway" came into use is not quite clear. It is obviously improbable that the area of the diocese was at all defined in St. Ninian's time, but from the eighth till the end of the sixteenth century it was limited to the district of Galloway, i.e., the two Counties of Kirkeudbright and Wigtown. The succession of bishops in this see was three times interrupted in the course of its history for periods averaging three hundred years' duration each. The last Catholic bishop in the sixteenth century, Andrew Durie, died in 1558, and the see was vacant three hundred and twenty years.

It was restored, for the third time, by Leo XIII in 1878, and the Right Rev. John McLachlan, D.D., Vicar-General of the Western Vicariate of Scotland, was appointed the first bishop. From the extent of territory it would be perhaps more accurately described as a new diocese, for it was formed out of two outlying portions of the former eastern and western vicariates and has more than double the are it had at either previous restoration. The Catholic population, small in number and thinly dispersed over the whole territory, belonged chiefly to the poorer labouring class and, excepting the larger burghs, such as Ayr, Dumfries, and Kilmarnock, was very inadequately provided for in respect of ordinary religious and educational needs. But the new bishop was a man of great energy and zeal, with a wide missionary and administrative experience, and in a comparatively short time he not only thoroughly organized the diocese but also furnished it abundantly with churches, schools, presbyteries, and an efficient clergy. While engaged in this great work he received generous encouragement and support from many of the wealthier members of his flock, e.g., the third Marquess of Bute; Rev. Sir David Oswald Hunter-Blair, Baronet; Captain R. D. Barre Cunninghame, and others. Bishop McLachlan died 16 Jan., 1893, and was succeeded by the Right Rev. William Turner, the present bishop; b. at Aberdeen, 12 Dec., 1844; cons. 25 July, 1893. The diocesan statistics for 1908 show a Catholic population of 17,625 souls, 21 missions, 41 churches or chapels, 30 priests in active work, 28 elementary schools, 10 religious communities (all since 1875), and various educational and charitable institutions. The diocese was a suffragan of York (England) previous to 1472; from that date until 1492 it was subject to St. Andrews; and from then until the extinction of the ancient hierarchy it was transferred to Glasgow. It is now a suffragan of the new Archbishopric of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.

Bellesheim, Hist. of Cath. Church in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1890); Forbes, Lives of St. Ninian and St. Kentigern (Edinburgh, 1874); Keith, Catalogue of Scottish Bishops (Edinburgh, 1824); Walcott, Ancient Church of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1874); Skene, Celtic Scotland (Edinburgh, 1887); Maxwell, Dumfries and Galloway (Edinburgh, 1896); McKerlie, Lands and Owners in Galloway (Paisley, 1906); The Catholic Directory of Scotland for 1878 and 1908; The Catholic Church of Scotland, Statistics (Glasgow, 1878).

Bibliography

• Watt, D.E.R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969), pp. 138–9