[MR] Wikipedia: Bishop Jocelin of Glasgow

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

On this date in 1199, Bishop Jocelin of Glasgow passed away while at
Melrose Abbey. Jocelin was a pivotal figure in both the religious and
political history of Glasgow, and Scotland in general.

Glasgow gained burgh status under Jocelin, allowing the growing city
certain self-governing rights and the right to hold a fair (still held
today). The Bishop of Glasgow was also a secular baron for his entire
diocese, which included large territories south of Glasgow.

Jocelin was responsible for expanding Glasgow's Cathedral of St. Kentigern
(aka St. Mungo), then doing it all over again after the church was badly
damaged by fire. Due to later expansion, Jocelin's work on the main level
was lost, but the impressive crypt is mostly his work. The cathedral held
St. Kentigern's relics (they are still believed to be in the crypt), and
Jocelin's church became a major pilgrimage site until the reformation.

He also commissioned namesake monk Jocelin of Furness to write a *Life of
St. Kentigern* with its rather controversial story of the ring and the fish
(which saved a queen from punishment after she had committed adultery),
plus some other mushy formulaic miracles. It is neither great writing nor
great morality, but the work still endures. The ring and the fish are
symbols used on Glasgow's civic arms to this day:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow#/media/File:Glasgow_Coat_of_Arms.png
(that's St. Kentigern at the top, not Jocelin).

Jocelin's greatest political accomplishment was gaining a Papal Bull which
declared Glasgow to be a "special daughter" of the Papacy. This was in
answer to the Archbishops of both York and Canterbury who were attempting
to gain control the Glasgow diocese (and its revenues!). This set a
precedent against English attempts to take religious and secular control of
Scotland.

You can read more about Jocelin at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelin_of_Glasgow

For more about the ring and the fish go to
http://catholicsaints.info/saint-kentigern/

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿