Who was before 'Crowner' Gunn and was he crowner or coroner?
Who was before 'Crowner' Gunn and was he crowner or coroner?
Who was before 'crowner / coroner' Gunn?
The answer is simple. We don't know. We don't even know his parents. As far as I am aware there is no primary source material showing (let alone proving) links from him to earlier years, places and people. In Clan Gunn histories we have had myths / hopes repeated so often they have become accepted realities, but repetition does not turn a dream into a fact. See the previous page - or 'On the non-existent ‘Chiefs’ between the Orkneys and before Gunn coroner' in 'Chief Issues / Lord Lyon'.
Gunn history starts with the coroner...
But is it crowner or coroner?
It's a little hard to be definite but the Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 have one mention of a crowner in total - and that in December 1585 - whereas they have fifteen mentions of a coroner.
The earliest coroner record is 18 December 1358 from King David II - Letters: letters patent to the sheriff and bailies of Inverness and the coroner of Caithness. Note it's to the coroner of Caithness; the position existed before Gunn coroner. The opening of the letter is 'David, by the grace of God king of Scots, to his sheriff, bailies of Inverness and their lieutenants or lieutenant, and the coroner of Caithness'; note the coroner's position is last in the list. It is though a legal position and of importance. And that King David viewed it as low c position.
So, judging by the amount of parliamentary references and the position of Caithness coroner pre-existing before Gunn 'crowner / coroner' it seems far and away more likely that the correct term for the position held by Gunn was coroner.
The letter also makes detailed note of what they should and shouldn't be doing; the idea that the Highlands was a lawless place is not acceptable. The Parliamentary records make this quite clear.
The answer is simple. We don't know. We don't even know his parents. As far as I am aware there is no primary source material showing (let alone proving) links from him to earlier years, places and people. In Clan Gunn histories we have had myths / hopes repeated so often they have become accepted realities, but repetition does not turn a dream into a fact. See the previous page - or 'On the non-existent ‘Chiefs’ between the Orkneys and before Gunn coroner' in 'Chief Issues / Lord Lyon'.
Gunn history starts with the coroner...
But is it crowner or coroner?
It's a little hard to be definite but the Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 have one mention of a crowner in total - and that in December 1585 - whereas they have fifteen mentions of a coroner.
The earliest coroner record is 18 December 1358 from King David II - Letters: letters patent to the sheriff and bailies of Inverness and the coroner of Caithness. Note it's to the coroner of Caithness; the position existed before Gunn coroner. The opening of the letter is 'David, by the grace of God king of Scots, to his sheriff, bailies of Inverness and their lieutenants or lieutenant, and the coroner of Caithness'; note the coroner's position is last in the list. It is though a legal position and of importance. And that King David viewed it as low c position.
So, judging by the amount of parliamentary references and the position of Caithness coroner pre-existing before Gunn 'crowner / coroner' it seems far and away more likely that the correct term for the position held by Gunn was coroner.
The letter also makes detailed note of what they should and shouldn't be doing; the idea that the Highlands was a lawless place is not acceptable. The Parliamentary records make this quite clear.