Reinald Macer - Bishop of Ross

Bishop of Ross

On 29 December the same year, Bishop Reinald was at Christchurch in Hampshire consecrating an altar. He witnessed two royal grants issued at Elgin to the Cistercian Kinloss Abbey on 31 July 1196. On 3 April, in a year falling inclusively between the years 1196 and 1207, probably 1199, he witnessed a royal confirmation of a grant by Thomas de Lundin to Coupar Angus Abbey; the confirmation was issued at Forfar in Angus. Bishop Reinald attended the legatine council of the Scottish church held at Perth in December 1201. He witnessed a royal grant to Hugh of Benholm of land in the Mearns on 5 April, either 1201 or 1202; this grant was issued at Kincardine.

A papal mandate dated to 27 May 1198, instructed Reinald and the Bishop of Orkney (Bjarni Kolbeinsson Skald) to compel the Bishop of Caithness to stop preventing the collection of Peter's Pence, which Earl Harald Maddadsson had granted. This errant Bishop of Caithness was John; he was standing up for the peasantry of his diocese, as well as perhaps his own revenues; collection of the Pence had a strong history in Scandinavia, and John's resistance resulted in his mutilation by Earl Harald, who had the bishop's eyes and tongue cut out.