Bellenden John

Bellenden, John, poet, appears to have been born about the close of the 15th century at Haddington or Berwick - which is not definitely known. He translated, at King James V.'s request, Boece's history, written in Latin, into Scottish prose, as also the first five books of Livy. For this he was awarded grants from the treasury, and was made Archdeacon of Moray and a canon of Ross. He opposed the Reformation, and in the reign of James V.'s successor he had to take refuge in Rome, where he died in 1550 or 1587 according to Lord Dunchennan.