Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford facts for kids
Alexander William Crawford Lindsay (born October 16, 1812 – died December 13, 1880) was a Scottish nobleman. He was known as Lord Lindsay from 1825 to 1869. He was also a historian who studied art and a big collector of artworks and books.
Contents
A Life of Learning and Collecting
Early Life and Travels
Alexander Lindsay was born at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria, England. His father was James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford. He went to school at Eton and then studied at Trinity College, Cambridge.
He loved to travel and learn about art. He explored many places to study different art styles. In 1837 and 1838, he traveled to the Middle East. He wrote a book about his journey called Letters on Egypt, Edom and the Holy Land.
A Passion for Art and Books
Lord Lindsay became a very keen art collector. Many of the artworks he bought are now shown in art galleries around the world. He also wrote books about art, like Progression by Antagonism in 1846 and Sketches of the History of Christian Art in 1847.
He also wrote about ancient languages in Etruscan Inscriptions Analysed (1872). He even had a large house built in London in 1864 by Charles James Freake.
Family History and Titles
Another great interest of his was genealogy, which is the study of family histories. He wrote a three-volume book called Lives of the Lindsays. This book was all about the history of his own family. He also wrote about the life of Lady Anna Mackenzie in 1868.
In 1869, he became the 25th Earl of Crawford and the 8th Earl of Balcarres. He inherited these titles from his father.
His Final Years
Alexander Lindsay passed away in 1880 in Florence, Italy, when he was 68 years old. His body was brought back to Scotland to be buried at Dunecht House. Sadly, his coffin was stolen some time after his burial. His body was found 14 months later in a shallow grave. A special monument now marks the spot where his body was found at Dunecht. His remains were then reburied in the family vault in Wigan.
His son, James Lindsay, became the next Earl of Crawford after him.
Family Life
Marriage and Children
On July 23, 1846, Alexander Lindsay married Margaret Lindsay. She was the daughter of Lt Gen James Lindsay. They had seven children together:
- Lady Mary Susan Félicie Lindsay (died 1937)
- Lady Alice Frances Lindsay (died 1915)
- Lady Margaret Elizabeth Lindsay (died 1912)
- Mabel Lindsay
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913)
- Lady Anne Catherine Sybil Lindsay (1858–1936), who married Hon Francis Bowes-Lyon. He was the uncle of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
- Lady Jane Evelyn Lindsay (1862–1948)
The Amazing Library
Building a Great Collection
Lord Lindsay had a big dream to create an amazing library called the Bibliotheca Lindesiana. He and his oldest son worked hard to build it up. It became one of the most impressive private book collections in Britain. It was special because of its huge size and because it had many very rare books.
Most of the library was kept at Haigh Hall in Lancashire. Some parts were also at Balcarres.
What Happened to the Library?
In 1910, his son, the 26th Earl, published a huge catalog of the books. It was called Catalogue of the Printed Books Preserved at Haigh Hall, Wigan. This was a big job for a team of librarians.
The handwritten books and some Chinese and Japanese printed books from the collection were sold in 1901. They were bought by Enriqueta Augustina Rylands for the John Rylands Library.
