Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, having been created in the
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...
for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll.
Early history
Sir David Lindsay, who married
Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Crawford
Elizabeth Stewart, Princess of Scotland was a daughter of Robert II of Scotland and Euphemia de Ross. She was born between 1356 and 1370, well after her parents' marriage on 2 May 1355. Her brothers were David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn and Walt ...
, a daughter of
Robert II, was the 10th baron of
Crawford, Lanarkshire.
In 1398 he was given the title of Earl of Crawford, along with
Crawford Castle
Crawford Castle, substantially in ruins, is located on the north bank of the River Clyde, around half a mile north of Crawford, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruins stand on an earlier motte and bailey earthwork. The castle is also known as ...
, by Robert.
The title descended to the first Earl's descendants without much incident, until the death of David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford, in 1542. The eighth Earl had a son, Alexander, commonly called the ''Wicked Master'', who frequently quarrelled with his father and even tried to murder him. The Wicked Master was sentenced to death for his crime, and the eighth Earl conveyed his title to a cousin, also called David Lindsay, a descendant of the third Earl of Crawford, and excluded from the succession all of the Wicked Master's descendants. However, the ninth earl, although he had his own sons, named the Wicked Master's son David as his heir; thus, in 1558, at the ninth Earl's death, the earldom returned to the main branch of the family. The ninth Earl is frequently referred to as an interpolated Earl, as are the 17th-22nd Earls.
Later history
At the death of Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford, the title was passed, despite senior heirs, to a cousin, John, who had already been created Earl of Lindsay. The earldoms of Crawford and Lindsay continued to be united until the 22nd earl died unmarried in January 1808. The two earldoms then became dormant until the respective heirs could prove their claims to the titles.
In 1843, James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres put forward his claim to the Earldom of Crawford; in 1848, the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
allowed it. The claim was based on the extensive research of his son Lord Lindsay.
[Barker, Nicolas (1978) ''Bibliotheca Lindesiana: the Lives and Collections of Alexander William, 25th Earl of Crawford and 8th Earl of Balcarres, and James Ludovic, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres''. London: for Presentation to the Roxburghe Club, and published by Bernard Quaritch] It was held that the seventh Earl's father, the sixth Earl, was the lawful successor to the earldom of Crawford (though he did not claim it); therefore, the sixth Earl of Balcarres was posthumously declared the 23rd Earl of Crawford, and his son, the seventh Earl of Balcarres, became the 24th Earl of Crawford. Thereafter, these two earldoms have remained united (but the Earldom of Lindsay is separate).
The Earl of Crawford was mentioned in an episode of ''
Keeping Up Appearances
''Keeping Up Appearances'' is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. It originally aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 with two specials airing in 1997 and 2008 on PBS. The central character is an eccentric and snobbish middle class s ...
'', when
Hyacinth Bucket
Hyacinth Bucket is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'', portrayed by Patricia Routledge. Routledge won a British Comedy Award in 1991, and was nominated for two BAFTA awards in 1992 and 1993 for her portrayal.
Hy ...
insisted that her milk be sourced from the "very attractive herd" on his estate.
The subsidiary titles associated with the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres are: ''Lord Lindsay of Crawford'' (created 1398), ''Lord Lindsay and Balniel'' (1651) and ''Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall'' (1826). The former two subsidiary titles, as well as the two Earldoms, are in the
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...
. The Barony is in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...
. By virtue of the title of ''Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall'', the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres sat in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
until the passage of the
Peerage Act 1963
The Peerage Act 1963 (c. 48) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits women peeresses and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed.
Backgro ...
. The present Earl sits in the House of Lords as ''Baron Balniel'', a life peerage conferred on him in 1974 after he left the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
and before the death of his father.
The Earl of Crawford is the hereditary
Clan Chief
The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...
of
Clan Lindsay
Clan Lindsay is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.
History
Origins of the clan
The Lindsays were prominent in both England and Scotland from the late 11th century. The name most likely derives from the region of Lindsey in England (the ...
.
Family seat
The family seat is
Balcarres House
Balcarres House lies 1km north of the village of Colinsburgh, in the East Neuk of Fife, in eastern Scotland. It is centred on a mansion built in 1595 by John Lindsay (1552–1598), second son of David, 9th Earl of Crawford. The house became the ...
in
Colinsburgh
Colinsburgh is a village in east Fife, Scotland, in the parish of Kilconquhar.
History
The village is named after Colin Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Balcarres (1652–1722), who gave the land on which it was built. It was here that the first meeting of ...
,
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
. Until the 1940s they were also seated at
Haigh Hall
Haigh Hall is a historic country house in Haigh, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Built between 1827 and 1840 for James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres, it replaced an ancient manor house and was a Lindsay family home until 1947, when it was ...
, Lancashire.
Earls of Crawford (1398)
*
David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford (c. 13601407) was a Scottish peer who was created Earl of Crawford in 1398.
Life
Crawford was the son of Sir Alexander Lindsay of Glenesk and Katherine Stirling. Succeeding his father in 1381, he was known u ...
(died 1407)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford
Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford (c. 1387–1438/1439) was a Scottish magnate. He was the son of David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford and Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of King Robert II and Euphemia de Ross. He was knighted at the coronation ...
(c. 1387–1438)
*
David Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Crawford (died 24 January 1445) was a regent to James II of Scotland. He was a member of Clan Lindsay, a Scottish Lowland clan. He was the son of Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford by his wife Marjorie.
At the Bat ...
(died 1445)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford
Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford (1423–1453) was a late medieval Scottish nobleman, and a magnate of the north-east of that country.
Life
Alexander Lindsay was the son of David Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Crawford and Marjory Ogilvie, the dau ...
(died 1453)
*
David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose, 5th Earl of Crawford (1440–1495)
*
John Lindsay, 6th Earl of Crawford
John Lindsay, 6th Earl of Crawford (before 1483–1513) was an Earl of Crawford.
He was the son of David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose and Elizabeth Hamilton, and married Marion Home.
He fought with Huntly, Argyle, Marichal and Lovat against Do ...
(died c. 1513)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 7th Earl of Crawford
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
(died 1517)
*
David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford (died 27 November 1542) was the son of Alexander Lindsay, 7th Earl of Crawford. He was a member of Clan Lindsay, a Scottish Lowland clan. He married Elizabeth Hay, daughter of William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll.
S ...
(died 1542)
*
David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford (died 10 September 1558) was a Scottish peer and Member of Parliament.
First known as David Lindsay of Edzell, he inherited the earldom from David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford by nomination. His second wife ...
(died 1558)
*
David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford (1527-1574) was a Scottish landowner.
Lindsay was the son of Alexander Lindsay, Master of Crawford (d. 1541) and Jean Sinclair, daughter of Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair (d. 1513).
Lindsay was a grandson ...
(died 1574)
*
David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford (1547?–1607) was a Scottish nobleman and privy councilor.
Life
He was the eldest son of David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford, by Margaret, daughter of Cardinal Beaton and Marion Ogilvy, and was born about 15 ...
(c. 1547–1607)
*
David Lindsay, 12th Earl of Crawford (died 1621)
*
Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford
Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford (died 1623) also known as Harry Charteris, was a Scottish landowner and courtier.
Henry Lindsay was a younger brother of David Lindsay Earl of Crawford, a son of David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford and Marga ...
(died 1622)
*
George Lindsay, 14th Earl of Crawford
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd President ...
(died 1633)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 15th Earl of Crawford
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
(died 1639)
*
Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford
Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford (1600–1652), was a Scottish landowner and Royalist. He was the son of Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford and Helen Chisholm.
In 1633-1634 Lindsay served the Polish king and commanded a unit composed pa ...
(died 1652)
Earls of Crawford (1642)
*
John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford, 1st Earl of Lindsay (c. 1598–1678) (descended from 1st Earl's uncle, received Earldom of Crawford under regrant of 1642)
*
William Lindsay, 18th Earl of Crawford, 2nd Earl of Lindsay (1644–1698)
*
John Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford, 3rd Earl of Lindsay (died 1713)
*
John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford, 4th Earl of Lindsay (1702–1749)
*
George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford, 5th Earl of Lindsay (1723–1781)
*
George Lindsay-Crawford, 22nd Earl of Crawford, 6th Earl of Lindsay (1758–1808) (dormant 1808; last male line descendant of 1st Earl of Lindsay, Earldom of Lindsay passed (according to Lords decision in 1878) to a kinsman of 1st Earl of Lindsay and that of Crawford reverted to the senior surviving line, as determined 1848)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 23rd Earl of Crawford, 6th Earl of Balcarres (1752–1825) (''de jure''; descended from second son of 3rd Earl of Crawford)
*
James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford, 7th Earl of Balcarres (1783–1869) (revived 1848)
*
Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford, 8th Earl of Balcarres (1812–1880)
*
James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford, 9th Earl of Balcarres (1847–1913)
*
David Alexander Edward Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford, 10th Earl of Balcarres (1871–1940)
*
David Alexander Robert Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford, 11th Earl of Balcarres (1900–1975)
*
Robert Alexander Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford, 12th Earl of Balcarres (born 1927)
#The
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
is the present holder's son Anthony Robert Lindsay, Lord Balniel (born 1958).
#The Lord Balniel's heir apparent is Alexander Thomas Lindsay, The Master of Lindsay (born 1991).
#The Master of Lindsay's heir apparent is Ludovic James Lindsay (born 2020).
Arms
See also
*
Lindsay family tree, showing the relationship between some of the above
*
Clan Lindsay
Clan Lindsay is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.
History
Origins of the clan
The Lindsays were prominent in both England and Scotland from the late 11th century. The name most likely derives from the region of Lindsey in England (the ...
*
Crawford Priory
Crawford Priory is an estate house about 2 miles south west of Cupar, Fife, based on private land with no single owner. It is a former residence of the Earls of Crawford, Earls of Glasgow and Barons Cochrane of Cults. It lies just outside the ...
*
Earl of Balcarres
*
Earl of Lindsay
Earl of Lindsay is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay, who later inherited the ancient Earldom of Crawford. The two earldoms remained united until the death of the 22nd Earl of Craw ...
*
Viscount of Garnock
Notes
References
Attribution
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford
Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland
Noble titles created in 1398
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...