John de Egglescliffe

Who was John de Egglescliffe?

John de Egglescliffe was a 14th-century English bishop. Little is known of his personal background except that he was an Augustinian friar, and that he probably came from County Durham.

In early 1317, Stephen de Donydouer was elected by the canons of the see of Glasgow as bishop of Glasgow. After election, Stephen travelled to the Holy See to receive consecration, but the pope, Pope John XXII rejected his election under pressure from King Edward II of England. A letter dated 13 July 1317 was sent by King Edward thanking the pope for refusing to accept the election. On 18 August, the pope had learned of Stephen's death, and announced that he would appoint a bishop himself.

The pope instructed Nicholas Alberti, Bishop of Ostia, to appoint and consecrate the English papal penitentiary John de Ecclescliffe to the bishopric of Glasgow. This went ahead at Avignon at some point before 17 July 1318. Meanwhile, ignorant of the pope's reservation, the Glasgow canons elected John de Lindesay. As an Egglescliffe was regarded as a pro-English appointee, Egglescliffe never took possession of this see.