Tulchan Bishops
Preserved but no longer current.
Certain Scotch bishops appointed by the Regent Morton, in 1572, with the distinct understanding that they were to hand over a fixed portion of the revenue to the patron. A tulchan is a stuffed calf-skin, placed under a cow that withholds her milk. The cow, thinking the "tulcan" to be her calf, readily yields her milk to the milk-pail; the bishop was to have the empty title, and the Regent was to get the "milk.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tulchan Bishops” mean?
Certain Scotch bishops appointed by the Regent Morton, in 1572, with the distinct understanding that they were to hand over a fixed portion of the revenue to the patron. A tulchan is a stuffed calf-skin, placed under a cow that withholds her milk. The cow, thinking the "tulcan" to be her calf, readily yields her milk to the milk-pail; the bishop was to have the empty title, and the Regent was to get the "milk.
Is “Tulchan Bishops” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.