Little is known of his personal background except that he was an Augustinian friar, and that he probably came from County Durham (there is a parish called Egglescliffe there).
A letter dated 13 July 1317 was sent by King Edward thanking the pope for refusing to accept the election.
The pope instructed Nicholas Alberti, Bishop of Ostia, to appoint and consecrate the English papal penitentiary John de Ecclescliffe to the bishopric of Glasgow.
Meanwhile, ignorant of the pope's reservation, the Glasgow canons elected John de Lindesay.
This did not last long though, as he was soon translated again, this time to the bishopric of Llandaff on 20 June 1323, i.e., just three months after becoming bishop of Connor.