Glasgow Name Study: project home · research directory · digital workbench
Current conclusion
John de Glasgu is securely recorded on 2 February 1259 as chaplain of Bishop Gamelin of St Andrews. A broad-dated Dunipace charter probably names the same man because its witnesses include Richard de Stickley, who also appeared with John in 1259. The Dunipace record does not repeat John's office, so this second identification is probable rather than certain.
| Possible father or older kinsman: John of Huntingdon, Official of Glasgow (c.1155–after 1208). His long Glasgow cathedral career makes him the strongest earlier institutional candidate, and the chronology permits a late son or younger relative; no record states the relationship. |
| Possible son: John of Glasgow, Holyrood religious (fl. 1299). Forty years and a shared religious setting fit consecutive generations, although the records give no kinship. |
This John must remain separate from the John of Glasgow recorded at Holyrood in 1299. Forty years separate the records and no office, patron, associate, property or explicit alias joins them.
Documentary evidence
Gamelin's chaplain, 1259
A St Andrews act dated 2 February 1259 names domino Johanne de Glasgu, capellano domini episcopi—John de Glasgu, chaplain of the bishop.[1] The bishop was Gamelin of St Andrews. The record gives John a clerical office and a direct personal locative, but it does not identify his parents or relatives.
Probable Dunipace occurrence
A charter concerning Dunipace also includes Johanne de Glasgu. The act is broadly dated, but its witness list contains Richard de Stickley, who appeared with John in the 1259 act as the bishop's steward.[2] The shared associate and likely date support one working identity, but the charter does not call this witness a chaplain.
Identity cautions
| Record | Assessment | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2 February 1259, chaplain of Bishop Gamelin | Secure | Directly named and dated |
| Broad-dated Dunipace witness | Probable same man | Shared distinctive associate and compatible date; office not repeated |
| An earlier John described only as chaplain to Bishop William de Bondington | Not joined | The cited record does not supply the de Glasgu designation or an explicit bridge |
| John of Glasgow at Holyrood, 7 January 1299 | Separate working identity | Forty-year gap and no repeated office, patron, associate or property |
Identity and origin hypotheses
The 1259 chaplain and the Holyrood religious of 1299 could conceivably belong to one long-lived man, but no shared office, associate or relationship bridges the records, so they are treated as separate working identities. Norman, Duffield and FitzAlan descent and assignment to a modern Y-DNA branch are research hypotheses only. Y-DNA cannot identify a named medieval bearer without a documented male-line bridge, and no such bridge has been produced.
No inspected source proves John's birth year, parents, siblings, descendants, hereditary-surname status, education, retirement at Holyrood or role in a continuous Glasgow lineage.
Related research
Sources
Source references
- Registrum Prioratus Sancti Andree (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1841), p. 173; Internet Archive. See also People of Medieval Scotland, person no. 3404 and transaction factoid no. 15755; PoMS.
- Registrum Monasterii S. Marie de Cambuskenneth, no. 81; DEEDS 07280081. See also People of Medieval Scotland, source no. 5639, suggesting a probable date in the 1250s or 1260s; PoMS.
WikiTree and this edition
Not checked against current WikiTree text
Saved source: 2026-08-29. Local corrections are preserved; differences are reviewed before either edition is replaced.
Open the WikiTree page ↗ · How updates are reconciled
Complete local WikiTree draft
This is the public-safe local text, ready for review. A live WikiTree save is a separate action.