 Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predecessor King Edgar of Scotland had granted the land of Coldingham to the Church of Durham in 1098, and a church was constructed by him and presented in 1100.The first prior of Coldingham is on record by the year 1147, although it is likely that the foundation was much earlier.The earlier monastery at Coldingham was founded by St Æbbe sometime c. 640 AD.