The Abbot of Paisley (later Commendator of Paisley; Prior of Paisley before 1219) was the head of the Cluniac monastic community of Paisley Abbey and its property. The monastery was founded as a priory at Renfrew in 1163, but moved to Paisley in 1169. It became an abbey in 1219. The founder was Walter fitz Alan, Seneschal (Steward) of Scotland. The line of abbots ended when it was turned into a secular lordship for Lord Claud Hamilton in 1587/1592. The following is a list of abbots and commendators:
???, 1163 x 1165
Osbert, 1173-1180x1192
Roger, 1195 x 1196 -1208 x 1214
???, 1220
William, 1225/6 -1238, 1248?
Stephen, 1272–1285
Walter, 1296
A[ ? ], 1301
Roger, 1318–1325
John, 1327
James, 1349
John, 1362–1370
John de Lithgow I, 1384-1408 x 1412
Alan de Govan, 1412
John de Lychcar, 1412
William de Cheshelme, 1414
Roland, 1414-1415
John de Lithgow II (?Lychcar), 1415-1431 x 1432
Thomas Morrow, 1418–1444
Richard Bothwell, 1444–1445
Thomas de Tarveis, 1445–1459
Henry Crichton, 1459–1471
Patrick Graham, 1466–1471
George Shaw, 1471–1499
Robert Shaw, 1498–1525
John Hamilton, 1525-1553
Claude Hamilton, 1553–1587
Robert Lord Sempill, 1569–1573
William Erskine, 1581-1584
Claude Hamilton, 1586-1592 as 1st Lord Paisley
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