Thomas Bellenden of Auchnoule

Thomas Bellenden or Bannatyne of Auchnoule (c.1485-c.1547), courtier of James V of Scotland, Judge from 1535, Director of Chancery from 1538, Lord Justice Clerk from 1539, member of the royal council, ambassador to England, and Protestant sympathizer. Bellenden was a graduate of the University of Paris, and early in his career used the title "Master."

Bellenden's duties included meetings with English border officials. A letter written by the English deputy border warden William Eure to Thomas Cromwell on 26 January 1540 describes a meeting with Thomas Bellenden at Coldstream in January 1540. Eure said that Bellenden was over fifty years old. Bellenden described the performance of an interlude at Linlithgow Palace before James, his wife Mary of Guise and his bishops and council on the feast of the Epiphany. The play concerned the reformation of the church, and Eure obtained a more detailed description from a Scottish contact who saw the play at Linlithgow. This description corresponds with the expanded later text of David Lyndsay's play A Satire of the Three Estates.

Eure talked with Bellenden about the possibility of a Reformation of the 'spirituality' in Scotland. The play at Linlithgow had shown the 'naughtiness' of the church. Bellenden said that after the play the King spoke to the churchmen in the audience asking them to reform their factions and manner of living, otherwise he would send six of them into England to his uncle, Henry VIII. Bellenden said that James V intended to expel clergymen from royal appointments and he asked Eure to send him secretly copies of the English statutes that suppressed the Roman Catholic religion.

John Knox mentioned Thomas Bellenden positively in connection with the regrets of his predecessor as Justice Clerk, Thomas Scott of Pitgorno. Knox also wrote that Bellenden helped Regent Arran to power but his influence was lost when Arran abandoned the plan for Mary, Queen of Scots to marry Prince Edward of England.

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