James Bane

Who was James Bane?

James Bane was Bishop of St. Andrews for a brief period in the early 14th century. In his earlier career, James had been a canon of Aberdeen and prebendary of Cruden.

James rose to the position of Archdeacon of St. Andrews, one of the most senior positions within the diocese. He was appointed one of the ambassadors to France along with Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, Robert Keith the Marischal of Scotland, Adam de Moravia and Walter de Twynham in 1326 to renew the Auld Alliance with the signing of the Treaty of Corbeil. Ten days after the death of Bishop William de Lamberton in 1328, the chapter held an election to fill the vacancy. James, although fortunately absent at the court of Pope John XXII at Rome, stood against Alexander de Kyninmonth, Archdeacon of Lothian, and won. However, before news of his victory reached Rome, Pope John, who had previously reserved his right to do so, had already provided James to the see. James was consecrated, sometime in the same year, by Bertrand de Turre, Bishop of Frascati.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Dupplin Moor on 12 August 1332, after roughly two years back in Scotland as chief-bishop of the kingdom, James fled to Flanders.