Hugh Canoun

[1] As a judge he was praised for his good and faithful service to the English Crown,[2] and as a lawyer he was known as "a man very knowledgeable about all the King's business".

[3] On the other hand, his loyalty to the Crown during the Scottish Invasion of Ireland in 1315-18 was said to be extremely doubtful,[4] although he was saved from disgrace by his influential connections.

[2] He was appointed to the Irish Court of Common Pleas (which was then usually called "the Bench") in 1308, on the nomination of Piers Gaveston, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and prime Royal favourite.

[3] He was held in high regard by his judicial colleagues, one of whom, possibly Sir Richard de Exeter, wrote a letter describing Hugh as "the man most knowledgeable in the various kinds of business which concern the King".

He was a supporter of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, who had shown his regard for him in 1311, when Hugh was impleaded at Westminster.

[4] In 1317 it was rumoured that Canoun had ordered his brother-in-law to guide Robert's brother Edward Bruce, who led the invading forces, through County Kildare.

[11] As on previous occasions, he could rely on his powerful connections for protection,[3] but his career ended abruptly when he was murdered shortly afterwards, in a private feud with the de Berminghams of Athenry.

[2] The official endorsement on the petition praised Hugh for his good and faithful service as a judge in Ireland (this was evidently before he fell under suspicion of disloyalty during the Bruce Invasion), but the relevant official, John Hotham, Bishop of Ely, clearly had doubts about the propriety of making the grant in question, since John Wogan, the former Justiciar of Ireland, already held the lands.