James Ogilvie

Who was James Ogilvie?

James Ogilvie [Ogilvy] was a late medieval Scottish prelate. After the death of William Elphinstone, the bishopric of Aberdeen became vacant. Ogilvy was nominated for the vacancy by John Stewart, Duke of Albany. At Rome however, Pope Leo X provided Robert Forman to the vacant see, while the canons of Aberdeen elect Alexander Gordon, allegedly under pressure from the latter's cousin Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly.

It was because of this that Ogilvie resigned his rights to this bishopric, and in compensation, became Commendator-Abbot of Dryburgh. During the early days of his commendatorship, it was recorded that he was a canon of the diocese of Aberdeen and the parson of Kinkell. Ogilvie held the commendatorship for merely three years, dying on May 30, 1518.