John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch

John Comyn (Cumyn) (born c. 1215, died c. 1275) was Lord of Badenoch in Scotland. He was justiciar of Galloway in 1258 [G. W. S. Barrow, "The Kingdom of the Scots: Government, Church and Society from the Eleventh to the Fourteenth Century" (2003), p. 86.] [Michael Brown, "The Wars of Scotland" (2004), p. 53.] . He held lands in Nithsdale"Concise Dictionary of National Biography"] (Dalswinton, a Comyn stronghold [ [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst3290.html Overview of Dalswinton ] ] [http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=65896] , and Duncow [ [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurehistory3649.html Historical perspective for Nithsdale ] ] ) and Tynedale.

The Comyn family were in effective power in Scotland from 1249 to 1255, when Alexander III of Scotland was a minor; John was one of those with court influence. The Comyns were ousted, by Alan Durward, but returned to power in 1257-8, before provoking a strong English reactionMichael Prestwich, "Plantagenet England 1225-1360" (2005), p. 230.] .

He fought for Henry III of England at the Battle of Lewes (1265), with John Baliol the elder and Robert Bruce the elder [ [http://www.wargames.co.uk/Library/ArticlesH/Lewes.html Battle of Lewes, May 14, 1264 ] ] ; he was captured [ [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Lewes.pdf Battlefield Report (PDF)] , p. 5.] . In 1267 he was given license to crenellate Tarset Castle in Tynedale (by present-day Lanehead, near Hexham), by Henry III [ [http://www.ecastles.co.uk/philipdavis/LOC/12671205.html Tarset Castle Licence to Crenellate ] ] ; Tarset had previously been held by Walter Comyn [ [http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/understanding/historyarchaeology/historicvillageatlas/greenhaughintroduction/greenhaughhistory/tarsetcastle.htm Tarset Castle ] ] .

He started castle construction at Blair Castle with a tower built in 1269 [http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/canmore/details_gis?inumlink=25802] ; the place was soon taken back by David, Earl of Atholl [ [http://www.touruk.co.uk/castlesscot/castle_Blair.htm A Guide To Blair Castle, Perth and Kinross, From TourUK ] ] .

Family

John was the son of a Richard Comyn and was the grandson (through Richard) of William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan.

According to the 1911 "Encyclopedia Britannica" he died in 1274, and was nephew of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Constable of Scotland), and of Walter Comyn, Earl of Mentieth [ [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/John_Comyn John Comyn - LoveToKnow 1911 ] ] . His date of death is also given as 1277 [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTTISH%20NOBILITY.htm Scottish Nobility ] ] .

He succeeded his uncle Walter, in 1258, as Lord of Badenoch, and was succeeded by his son John II, the "Black Comyn". John I was known as the "Red Comyn", the nickname more commonly applied to his grandson [ [http://www.clandrummond.com/comyn.htm Clan Comyn ] ] .

His second wife is given as Alice de Roos (Ros) [Douglas Richardson, Kimball G. Everingham, "Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families" (2005), p. 210; gives his death as in 1273-8.] , or Alice de Lindsay of Lamberton. His first wife was called Eva.

His children, at least four sons and four daughters, included:

* John II
* a daughter who married Alexander of Argyll
* a daughter who married Sir William Galbraith, 4th Chief of that Ilk, Lord of Kyncaith [ [http://www.clangalbraith.org/GalbraithsOfTheLennox/lennox.htm Clan Galbraith Association Galbraiths of the Lennox ] ]
* a daughter who married Galfrid de Mowbray [ [http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/sources/mowbray/christiana2.shtml Medieval English genealogy: Which John de Mowbray was the Brother of Christiana de Plumpton? Part 2 ] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~cheyne/200712-o/p1683.htm Biography]