John de Innes

infobox bishopbiog
name = John de Innes


religion= Roman Catholic Church
See = Diocese of Moray
Title = Bishop of Moray
Period = 1407–1414
consecration = 1282
Predecessor = William de Spynie
Successor = Henry de Lichton
post = Archdeacon of Caithness (1396–1398)| ordination =
bishops =
date of birth = c. 1370
place of birth = Moray
date of death = 1414
place of death = Elgin

John de Innes (c. 1370 – 1414) 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.Ditchburn, "Innes, John (c. 1370–1414)".] His education was partly paid for by the prebend of Duffus and a grant from Alexander Bur, Bishop of Moray, taken by Bur from the judicial profits of his diocese. During Innes' study period, he was also pursuing an ecclesiastical career, being Archdeacon of Caithness from 1396 until 1398, [Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 71; it is also possible that he was Archdeacon of Brechin in 1397, but this is probably an error: see Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 55.] and Dean of Ross, from some point between 1396 and 1398 until 1407. [Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 272.]

He gave up the latter position in that year, having been elected as Bishop of Moray sometime in late 1406, and receiving consecration from Pope Benedict XIII in either Italy or southern France in the following January. [Dowden, "Bishops of Scotland", p. 157; Ditchburn, "Innes, John (c. 1370–1414)"; Watt, "Fasti Ecclesiae", p. 215; Ditchburn gives Marseilles, Dowden gives Avignon, and Watt gives Italy.] Innes was bishop for over seven years, and died at Elgin on August 2, 1414. Innes has been traditionally credited with supervising much of the rebuilding to Elgin Cathedral. The historian David Ditchburn believes Innes was an ally, and possibly even a client, of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, and perhaps his father Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the latter of whom was the warlord responsible for burning down Elgin Cathedral during the episcopate of Alexander Bur.

Notes

References

*Dowden, John, "The Bishops of Scotland", ed. J. Maitland Thomson, (Glasgow, 1912)
*Ditchburn, David, "Innes, John (c. 1370–1414)", in the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14429, accessed 24 Feb 2007]
*Watt, D.E.R., "Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638", 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969)