William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton (died 1454) was an important political figure in the late medieval

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...

Life

The son of Sir John Crichton of Crichton, William Crichton is first attested to as one of the Scots noblemen and gentry who were given safe passage into England to meet

James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and ...

, following the latter's release from captivity. Crichton was one of eighteen gentlemen to receive the honour of knighthood at the coronation of King James on 21 May 1424, and was later made a

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

(). In 1426, Crichton, described as a knight and chamberlain (), along with William Fowlis, the royal almoner, and Thomas de Cranston, King's

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Boys served a knight as an attendant, doing simple but important tasks such as saddling a horse or caring for the knight's weapons and armour. Terminology ''Squire'' ...

, were sent as envoys to the court of Eric III of Norway to negotiate a continuation of the peace between their respective countries. Upon his return he was appointed governor of

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

, Master of the Royal Household and by 1435 Sheriff of Edinburgh. In 1437 Crichton, as Keeper of Edinburgh, had control of the six-year-old James II and by 1439 had himself proclaimed Lord Chancellor of Scotland. During the King's minority, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas was Regent. On 24 November 1440, after Archibald's death, Crichton and Sir Alexander Livingston invited the 16-year-old William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas and his brother to dinner in

, and murdered them, despite the young King's pleas for their lives. This brutal incident of murder and betrayal of hospitality has become known as the " Black Dinner" and was an inspiration for the "Red Wedding" massacre in the

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

series. Crichton was sent in 1448 to the continent, accompanied by the Secretary of State,

John de Ralston John de Ralston was a 15th-century Scottish bishop and administrator. He was regarded as illegitimate, although today his parents are not known. Ralston appears in the records for the first time in 1426, where he is chaplain and secretary to ...

Bishop of Dunkeld The Bishop of Dunkeld is the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunkeld, one of the largest and more important of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Cormac. However, the firs ...

and

Nicholas Otterburn Nicholas Otterbourne or Otterburn (c.1400–1462) was a Scottish churchman and official, clerk register of Scotland and a diplomat. Life Otterbourne is mentioned on 9 January 1450 as Master of Arts, canon of Glasgow Cathedral, and official of Lot ...

who would latterly assume that position. The purpose of this embassy was not only to ratify the

Auld Alliance The Auld Alliance ( Scots for "Old Alliance") was an alliance between the kingdoms of Scotland and France against England made in 1295. The Scots word ''auld'', meaning ''old'', has become a partly affectionate term for the long-lasting asso ...

between Scotland and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

but to find a bride for the as yet unmarried King James. Crichton and his company proceeded on to the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

, where they negotiated with Duke Philip for a suitable match for the King.

Mary of Guelders Mary of Guelders (; c. 1434/1435 – 1 December 1463) was Queen of Scots by marriage to King James II. She ruled as regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463. Background She was the daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders, and Catherine of Clev ...

, daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders, and niece of Duke Philip was chosen. Crichton escorted the future Queen back to Scotland, where they landed at

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

on 18 June 1449. In 1449 he founded a collegiate church on his estate at Crichton. In 1450 he made a considerable loan to James II. He also invested his wealth in Crichton Castle, adding to it and transforming it into an impressive courtyard castle. William, 1st Lord Crichton died before July 1454.

Marriage and issue

Lord Crichton had, by his wife Agnes (Maitland?), three children:Balfour Paul vol iii, p 61
/ref> * Sir James Crichton of Frendraught, who succeeded his father as 2nd Lord Crichton; * Elizabeth Crichton, married

Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Huntly (died 15 July 1470), who adopted the family name of Gordon from about 1457, was a powerful 15th-century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/1440 and was Lord of Badenoch, Gordon, Strathbogie and Cluny. ...

; * Agnes Crichton, married Alexander Lyon, 2nd Lord Glamis.

Crichton in fiction

Crichton is portrayed as the villain of the story in ''Black Douglas'', a 1968 novel by Nigel Tranter. He also features throughout ''The Lion's Whelp'', a 1997 novel by the same author. In addition, Crichton has a role in the 1899 novel ''The Black Douglas'' by Samuel Rutherford Crockett.

References

Sources

* Balfour Paul, Sir James, ''Scots Peerage'', IX vols, Edinburgh 190

* '' The Complete Peerage, The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom: extant, extinct, or dormant'' ed.

George Cokayne George Edward Cokayne (29 April 1825 – 6 August 1911) was an English genealogist and long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London, who eventually rose to the rank of Clarenceux King of Arms. He wrote such authoritative and standard ...

et al. London 1910 * Fraser, Sir William, ''The Douglas Book'', IV vols, Edinburgh 1885

* Thomas Rymer, Rymer Thomas, ''Fœdera'' XVI vols, The Hague 1739

* ''Regesta Diplomatica Historiae Danicae'', Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, Copenhagen 1889. {{DEFAULTSORT:Crichton, William, 1st Lord Crichton Year of birth unknown 1454 deaths Nobility from Midlothian Lord chancellors of Scotland 15th-century Scottish peers Ambassadors of Scotland to France Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Peers created by James II of Scotland Medieval Scottish diplomats 15th-century diplomats