John de Crannach
Encyclopedia
John de Crannach was a 15th century Scottish
scholar, diplomat and prelate
. Originating in the north-east of Lowland Scotland, he probably came from a family associated with the burgh
of Aberdeen
. Like many of his relatives, he flourished in the 15th-century Scottish church. After just over a decade at the University of Paris
, Crannach became a servant of the then Dauphin (later king) Charles (VII)
.
During his period in France he received provision as bishop of Caithness
, but within four years was translated and consecrated bishop of Brechin
. He was a prominent ambassador of James I
and travelled abroad frequently during the 1430s and early 1440s. In the diocese of Brechin
Crannach was usually absent until 1445, but was embroiled in a dispute with the archdeacon of Brechin
Gilbert Forrester.
in 1406, a requirement of which was being at least 20 years old. The name "de Crannach" comes from the former sheriffdom of Banff
, either Crannach in Grange parish or Cranna in Marnoch parish. John's father was probably Laurence de Crannach (fl. 1398), burgess of Aberdeen
, whose wife was named Christiana.
Three of his brothers are known; one, William, was a prominent Augustinian canon
who became abbot of Inchaffray
(1430–1433 or 1435), while another, David de Crannach, was sub-dean of Dunkeld and dean of Brechin. His third brother, Robert de Crannach, was precentor
of Brechin from 1440 to sometime between 1453 and 1457, as well as dean of Dunblane (1430–1439 or 1440). His uncle, Adam de Crannach (also "de Aberdeen"), was also a prominent Augustistian, serving as abbot of Scone
between 1418 and 1432.
A student of the University of Paris
in the early 1400s, he was Bachelor of Arts
in Ferburary 1405, and a Licentiate
and Master of Arts in May 1406. He was regent of the Arts between 1406 and his departure from the university in 1417. The famous archdeacon of Aberdeen
and poet
, John Barbour, stood surety
for him in in 1406 and 1407. For some time, John was a student of theology
, having become a Bachelor of Theology
by autumn of 1416.
He was also a participant in student and school affairs, being variously a key holder of the University of Paris
' "English nation" (the nation
at the university for all non-Romance
speakers) and head of the Scottish province therein. He served as representative of the university at a Paris ecclesiastical council, 30 November 1413, which debated and denounced the arguments of theologian Jean Petit
. During the same period, Crannach was a popular teacher of Scottish and other students at the university, but did not return there after January 1418 when he left for the papal court at Constance
.
s and English
, both enemies of the Franco-Scottish alliance
. In this era Crannach served the Dauphin Charles
as a diplomat, counsellor and "household master of requests" [Watt]. He headed an embassy to Scotland in 1419 that resulted in a Scottish army being brought to France. He was still in the service of Charles, now king, when Pope Martin V
provided Crannach bishop of Caithness
on 4 December 1422. He travelled to Scotland again soon after this provision, along with John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, and is recorded at Edinburgh
in November 1423.
Crannach was in Rome in 1424, probably in relation to his bishopric, provision to which was renewed in Crannach's presence on 11 December 1424. Although his kinsmen and other agents were drawing revenue from the see
by May 1425, he remained unconsecrated
and probably had yet to visit the diocese even in June 1426.
Historian and bishop John Dowden
believed that he had held the position of Dean of Fortrose Cathedral
, but the John in question was not Crannach but John Innes
, future bishop of Moray
. By 1424 at the latest Crannach was a priest and rector
of Chantenay
(in Sarthe
department) in the diocese of Le Mans, a canonry gained either through the university of through service to the Dauphin.
It was on 7 June 1426 that Crannach was translated from Caithness to the apparently more appealing see of Brechin
, vacant by the death of Walter Forrester
. Crannach was consecrated at some point between October 1426 and October 1427. He was in Rome in 1426 as part of an embassy sent by the king of the Scots, James I
, who wished, among other things, to secure the appointment of John Cameron
as bishop of Glasgow.
on a mission to reverse a papal citation of Bishop Cameron, and while at the papal court in 1430 he and Cameron's other proctor, Thomas de Merton, were excommunicated
due to Cameron's failure to pay the money due for confirmation of the bishopric; the excommunication was lifted in 1432.
His chief role in the 1430s appears to be that of a royal ambassador and papal petitioner. He was appointed as a representative of King James to the Council of Basel in 1433, but this seems to have been done by his brother Robert de Crannach. He helped negotiate the royal marriage between Scotland and France, and conducted James' daughter Margaret to La Rochelle
in 1436 before arranging the final details of the marriage. He was present at the wedding at Tours
on 13 June 1436. He was at Bruges in July 1436, and at Rome between February and July 1437, again in 1440, and yet again from September to November 1442.
As a diocesan, Crannach was much absent, taking up residence in his diocese in three periods: 1429, 1433–1436, and from 1445 onwards. In 1429, he witnessed the foundation of a college of priests at Brechin by Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl and Lord of Brechin. In June 1430 Crannach obtained a license to visit his diocese by proxy, and only in March 1433 is he found once again in his diocese. From 1433 to 1436 there is an intense period of activity by the bishop, the extant records emphasizing the bishop's attempts to secure his revenues and property. There was a dispute with Gilbert Forrester, the archdeacon
of Brechin and nephew of the previous bishop. Forrester, who perhaps thought himself entitled to the episcopal office, is said to have assaulted the bishop in church, and was subsequently excommunicated by the cathedral chapter
on 27 February 1435.
Although largely absent from his diocese between 1436 and 1445, his presence is on record for January 1439, February 1441, and February 1445. From 1445 onwards he appears settled in his diocese, and the evidence once again indicates Crannach's concern with securing the rights and privileges of his office and see. One of his earliest acts in this period was the purchase of land at Keithock (Angus). He endowed a chaplaincy on 11 June 1451 for the benefit of his own soul, and for the soul of his former lord Walter Stewart, despite the damnatio memoriae
of the latter for regicide
. The dispute with the archdeacon Gilbert Forrester continued, Forrester's excommunication being renewed on 30 July 1448. Forrester tried to secure exemption from episcopal authority at the Roman court. Although Crannach resisted Forrester, the bishop-archdeacon dispute was to continue after Crannach's death. Crannach also attacked his dean, John de Lichton (Leighton) for inefficiency and immorality.
The Auchinleck Chronicle
placed Crannach's death in 1456, but this is incorrect. Crannach's last appearance in surviving contemporary sources is 17 November 1453. He was dead by 8 March 1454, when his successor George Shoreswood
received notice of his provision to the vacant see.
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
scholar, diplomat and prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
. Originating in the north-east of Lowland Scotland, he probably came from a family associated with the burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. Like many of his relatives, he flourished in the 15th-century Scottish church. After just over a decade at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Crannach became a servant of the then Dauphin (later king) Charles (VII)
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
.
During his period in France he received provision as bishop of Caithness
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
, but within four years was translated and consecrated bishop of Brechin
Bishop of Brechin
The Bishop of Brechin is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Brechin or Angus, based at Brechin Cathedral, Brechin. The diocese had a long-established Gaelic monastic community which survived into the 13th century. The clerical establishment may very well have traced their earlier origins...
. He was a prominent ambassador of James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
and travelled abroad frequently during the 1430s and early 1440s. In the diocese of Brechin
Diocese of Brechin
The pre-Reformation Diocese of Brechin or Diocese of Angus was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland. The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedral in Brechin, Angus...
Crannach was usually absent until 1445, but was embroiled in a dispute with the archdeacon of Brechin
Archdeacon of Brechin
The Archdeacon of Brechin was the only archdeacon in the diocese of Brechin, acting as a subordinate of the Bishop of Brechin. The archdeacon held the parish church of Strachan as a prebend from at least 1274.-List of archdeacons of Moray:...
Gilbert Forrester.
Early years
He was born around 1386 (or soon before), which is known because he was a Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
in 1406, a requirement of which was being at least 20 years old. The name "de Crannach" comes from the former sheriffdom of Banff
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
, either Crannach in Grange parish or Cranna in Marnoch parish. John's father was probably Laurence de Crannach (fl. 1398), burgess of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, whose wife was named Christiana.
Three of his brothers are known; one, William, was a prominent Augustinian canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
who became abbot of Inchaffray
Abbot of Inchaffray
The Abbot of Inchaffray, before 1221 Prior of Inchaffray, and then by the end of the 15th century, the Commendator of Inchaffray, was the head of the community of Augustinian canons of Inchaffray Abbey and their lands. Inchaffray is in Strathearn, in southern Perthshire, Scotland...
(1430–1433 or 1435), while another, David de Crannach, was sub-dean of Dunkeld and dean of Brechin. His third brother, Robert de Crannach, was precentor
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is "præcentor", from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" ....
of Brechin from 1440 to sometime between 1453 and 1457, as well as dean of Dunblane (1430–1439 or 1440). His uncle, Adam de Crannach (also "de Aberdeen"), was also a prominent Augustistian, serving as abbot of Scone
Abbot of Scone
The Abbot of Scone, before 1163 x 4, Prior of Scone, and then by the beginning of the 16th century, the Commendator of Scone, was the head of the community of Augustinian canons of Scone Abbey and their lands. The priory was established by King Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim sometime between 1114 and...
between 1418 and 1432.
A student of the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in the early 1400s, he was Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Ferburary 1405, and a Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
and Master of Arts in May 1406. He was regent of the Arts between 1406 and his departure from the university in 1417. The famous archdeacon of Aberdeen
Archdeacon of Aberdeen
The Archdeacon of Aberdeen was the only archdeacon in the Diocese of Aberdeen, acting as a deputy of the Bishop of Aberdeen. The archdeacon held the parish church of Rayne as a prebend since 1256. The following is a list of known historical archdeacons:...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, John Barbour, stood surety
Surety
A surety or guarantee, in finance, is a promise by one party to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults...
for him in in 1406 and 1407. For some time, John was a student of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, having become a Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
by autumn of 1416.
He was also a participant in student and school affairs, being variously a key holder of the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
' "English nation" (the nation
Nation (university)
Student nations or simply nations are regional corporations of students at a university. Once widespread across Europe in medieval times, they are now largely restricted to the ancient universities of Sweden and Finland...
at the university for all non-Romance
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
speakers) and head of the Scottish province therein. He served as representative of the university at a Paris ecclesiastical council, 30 November 1413, which debated and denounced the arguments of theologian Jean Petit
Jean Petit (theologian)
Jean Petit was a French theologian and professor in the University of Paris...
. During the same period, Crannach was a popular teacher of Scottish and other students at the university, but did not return there after January 1418 when he left for the papal court at Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
.
Diplomat and churchman
Paris in the following years was subject to occupation and incursians from both BurgundianDuke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
s and English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, both enemies of the Franco-Scottish alliance
Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France. It played a significant role in the relations between Scotland, France and England from its beginning in 1295 until the 1560 Treaty of Edinburgh. The alliance was renewed by all the French and Scottish monarchs of that...
. In this era Crannach served the Dauphin Charles
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
as a diplomat, counsellor and "household master of requests" [Watt]. He headed an embassy to Scotland in 1419 that resulted in a Scottish army being brought to France. He was still in the service of Charles, now king, when Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
provided Crannach bishop of Caithness
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
on 4 December 1422. He travelled to Scotland again soon after this provision, along with John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, and is recorded at Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in November 1423.
Crannach was in Rome in 1424, probably in relation to his bishopric, provision to which was renewed in Crannach's presence on 11 December 1424. Although his kinsmen and other agents were drawing revenue from the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
by May 1425, he remained unconsecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
and probably had yet to visit the diocese even in June 1426.
Historian and bishop John Dowden
John Dowden
John Dowden was an Irish cleric and ecclesiastical historian.He was born in Cork in 1840 as the fifth of five children by John Wheeler Dowden and Alicia Bennett. His famous brother was the poet, professor and literary critic Edward Dowden...
believed that he had held the position of Dean of Fortrose Cathedral
Fortrose Cathedral
Fortrose Cathedral was the episcopal seat of the medieval Scottish diocese of Ross. It is probable that the original site of the diocese was at Rosemarkie, but by the 13th century the canons had relocated a short distance to the south-west to the site known as Fortrose or Chanonry...
, but the John in question was not Crannach but John Innes
John de Innes
John de Innes was medieval Scottish churchman. Born probably in Moray, he went to France in his youth, receiving a bachelorate in civil law from the University of Paris by 1396 and in canon law by 1407. His education was partly paid for by the prebend of Duffus and a grant from Alexander Bur,...
, future bishop of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
. By 1424 at the latest Crannach was a priest and rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Chantenay
Chantenay-Villedieu
Chantenay-Villedieu is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-Places and monuments:The priory saint Jean-baptiste Lieu: center market town, place of the town hall...
(in Sarthe
Sarthe
Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
department) in the diocese of Le Mans, a canonry gained either through the university of through service to the Dauphin.
It was on 7 June 1426 that Crannach was translated from Caithness to the apparently more appealing see of Brechin
Diocese of Brechin
The pre-Reformation Diocese of Brechin or Diocese of Angus was one of the thirteen historical dioceses of Scotland. The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedral in Brechin, Angus...
, vacant by the death of Walter Forrester
Walter Forrester
Walter Forrester , bishop of Brechin, was an administrator and prelate in later medieval Scotland. Originating in Angus, he came from a family of English origin who by the end of the 14th century had become well established in Scottish society...
. Crannach was consecrated at some point between October 1426 and October 1427. He was in Rome in 1426 as part of an embassy sent by the king of the Scots, James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, who wished, among other things, to secure the appointment of John Cameron
John Cameron (bishop)
John Cameron was a 15th century Scottish cleric, bishop of Glasgow, and Keeper of the Privy Seal.A licentiate in decrees , and provost of Lincluden, he became an official of the bishopric of St Andrews, and a canon of Glasgow, as well as secretary to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, who...
as bishop of Glasgow.
Bishop of Brechin
Crannach's activities immediately following his translation to Brechin are not clear, but he did not appear again in Scotland until May 1429. In December that year he departed to the papal court via BrugesBruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
on a mission to reverse a papal citation of Bishop Cameron, and while at the papal court in 1430 he and Cameron's other proctor, Thomas de Merton, were excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
due to Cameron's failure to pay the money due for confirmation of the bishopric; the excommunication was lifted in 1432.
His chief role in the 1430s appears to be that of a royal ambassador and papal petitioner. He was appointed as a representative of King James to the Council of Basel in 1433, but this seems to have been done by his brother Robert de Crannach. He helped negotiate the royal marriage between Scotland and France, and conducted James' daughter Margaret to La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
in 1436 before arranging the final details of the marriage. He was present at the wedding at Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
on 13 June 1436. He was at Bruges in July 1436, and at Rome between February and July 1437, again in 1440, and yet again from September to November 1442.
As a diocesan, Crannach was much absent, taking up residence in his diocese in three periods: 1429, 1433–1436, and from 1445 onwards. In 1429, he witnessed the foundation of a college of priests at Brechin by Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl and Lord of Brechin. In June 1430 Crannach obtained a license to visit his diocese by proxy, and only in March 1433 is he found once again in his diocese. From 1433 to 1436 there is an intense period of activity by the bishop, the extant records emphasizing the bishop's attempts to secure his revenues and property. There was a dispute with Gilbert Forrester, the archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Brechin and nephew of the previous bishop. Forrester, who perhaps thought himself entitled to the episcopal office, is said to have assaulted the bishop in church, and was subsequently excommunicated by the cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
on 27 February 1435.
Although largely absent from his diocese between 1436 and 1445, his presence is on record for January 1439, February 1441, and February 1445. From 1445 onwards he appears settled in his diocese, and the evidence once again indicates Crannach's concern with securing the rights and privileges of his office and see. One of his earliest acts in this period was the purchase of land at Keithock (Angus). He endowed a chaplaincy on 11 June 1451 for the benefit of his own soul, and for the soul of his former lord Walter Stewart, despite the damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae is the Latin phrase literally meaning "condemnation of memory" in the sense of a judgment that a person must not be remembered. It was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate upon traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman State...
of the latter for regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
. The dispute with the archdeacon Gilbert Forrester continued, Forrester's excommunication being renewed on 30 July 1448. Forrester tried to secure exemption from episcopal authority at the Roman court. Although Crannach resisted Forrester, the bishop-archdeacon dispute was to continue after Crannach's death. Crannach also attacked his dean, John de Lichton (Leighton) for inefficiency and immorality.
The Auchinleck Chronicle
Auchinleck chronicle
The Auchinleck Chronicle is a national chronicle in Middle Scots, written in Scotland in the mid-15th century. It is an important source for late medieval Scottish history....
placed Crannach's death in 1456, but this is incorrect. Crannach's last appearance in surviving contemporary sources is 17 November 1453. He was dead by 8 March 1454, when his successor George Shoreswood
George Shoreswood
George Shoreswood or Schoriswood , was a prelate active in the Kingdom of Scotland during the 15th century. He appears to have been of English-speaking origin, from the family of Bedshiel in Berwickshire....
received notice of his provision to the vacant see.