General Notes

REFN: 1717AN
REFN: P1717
John Comyn (d 1274), justiciar of Galloway, was the son of Richard Comyn a
nd hephew of the powerful Walter Comyn, earl of Menteith, and the hardly l
ess important Alexander Comyn, earl of Buchan. In 1248 he is mention
ed as present at the courts of Alexander II at Berwick and Stirling. He al
so attested several Melrose charters during the latter part of the same re
ign. In 1250 he granted to the monks of Melrose the right of passage throu
gh his lands of Dalswinton and Duncol in Nithsdale. In this valley a
nd in Tyndale his property chiefly lay; so that he was a powerful man on b
oth sides of the border. In Scotland he fully shared in the posperity of h
is house during the early years of the reign of Alexander III. In close as
sociation with his two uncles, he took a prominent part in the governme
nt of the regency between 1249 and 1255, and fell like them in the latt
er year, when the personal intervention of Henry III transferred pow
er to a new regency, better affected towards the English sovereign. Next y
ear the jury of Corbridge presented him for levying new tolls on King Henr
y's men on his Northumberland estates. In 1257 he shared with his uncl
es in the capture of the young king at Kinrose, which resulted in their re
turn to power. In 1258 he appears, with the new title of justice of Gallow
ay, as joining in the confederation of the Scottish nobles with Llewel
yn of Wales against Henry III. But on peace being restored between Henry a
nd the Comyns he became in 1260 one of those to whom Henry swore that he w
ould not necessarily detain his daughter, the Queen of Scots, about to vis
it his court for confinement. In August of the same year he received licen
se from Henry to go through England to Canterbury and thence beyond se
a. In January 1262 he again received a safe-conduct from the English kin
g, and during his stay at Henry's court obtained a confirmation of King Da
vid's grants to his great-grandfather of his Tyndale estates; a grant of 5
0l for expenses during his residence at court; and license to hunt in t
he royal forests during his return home. So completely was his former poli
cy reversed that in 1268 he, along with John Baliol and Robert Bruce, l
ed a band of Scottish troops to help Henry against the revolted baron
s. He was present at the capture of Northampton by Henry, and in 1264 w
as captured at Lewes and confined in gaol in London. The triumph of Hen
ry in 1265 brought him signal benefits, grants of lands for his laudable s
ervices, limited rights of hunting in the king's forests, and of free warr
en over his Lincolnshire estates, to which was added leave to crenellate h
is new manor house at Tyrsete in Northumberland. In 1268 some of his retai
ners were slain by citizens of York, and his favour with Henry and Alexand
er procured a successful termination of the feud thence arising. The ci
ty agreed to pay him 300l compenstation, and to perpetually maintain two p
riests to pray for the souls of the slaughtered servants upon the bridge o
ver the Ouse, where the affray had occurred. The end of his life was not e
ventfull. He died in 1274.
Comyn is described by Fordun as 'a man prone to robbery and rashness.' Wyn
toun, who calles him 'Red John Comyn,' speaks of him as 'a knycht of gr
et renown.' He was twice married, and left a large family, who after his d
eath could not settle his heritage without dispute. William, his eldest so
n, who died early, engaged in an ineffectual struggle to obtain the earld
om of Menteith. Of the two sons named John, the elder became lord of Baden
och and claimant to the Scottish throne. Alexander and Robert, the two you
ngest, were both taken prisoners at Dunbar, while Robert was slain with t
he Red Comyn at Dumfries. His four daughters all married into noble house
s. [Dictionary of National Biography IV:914-915]