David Panter

Who was David Panter?

David Panter [also written Painter, or Paniter], Scottish diplomat, clerk and bishop of Ross, was the illegitimate son of Patrick Paniter, secretary to James IV; his mother was Margaret Crichton, illegitimate daughter of William Crichton, 3rd Lord Crichton and widow countess of Rothes.

He and his sister were legitimised on 13 August 1513. He was a university graduate, probably at the University of St. Andrews.

On 8 April 1536, he received crown nomination to the papacy for provision to become commendator St Mary's Isle in Galloway; in 1549 he became successor to Alexander Mylne as commendator of the abbey of Cambuskenneth, for which he had been coadjutor since 7 August 1534. On 23 December 1545, he obtained a crown provision to the abbey of Fearn, though that was unsuccessful.

Employed by Mary of Guise, he was in France in February 1542 on some unknown errand, and on 31 March 1544, was sent thither with Sir John Campbell of Lundie on a mission to the French king. He returned in June with John Hamilton, abbot of Paisley, in time to assist Cardinal Beaton's opposition to the English matrimonial schemes of the English court. In 1543 he became secretary to James V.