Matthew

Who was Matthew?

Matthew was a 13th-century cleric based in the Kingdom of Scotland. Walter Bower called him Macchabeus, a Latinization of the Gaelic name Mac Bethad or Mac Beathadh, previously held by a 12th-century bishop. Either Bower is confused or Matthew changed his name or took a pseudonym more appropriate to the environment of the "international" church, a practise not unusual in the period.

He was given the title of Magister by Bower, indicating the completion of a university education and more particularly of a Masters' degree at some stage in his life, but details of this have not survived and the title may be spurious. He is found as succentor of the cathedral of Ross in a Moray document dating between 1255 and 1271; he is the first person known to have held this position, and probably the first to have held this new position under the new cathedral constitution of 1256.

After the death of Robert, Bishop of Ross, Matthew was part of the team of five compromissarii who voted for the new bishop; as it happened, it was Matthew who was elected. He travelled to the papal court at Orvieto, along with the archdeacon Robert de Fyvie, and without waiting very long, was consecrated by Pope Gregory X personally by 28 December 1272, on which date a mandate was issued authorising him to proceed to his bishopric.