Anne Crawford-Lindsay facts for kids

Anne Crawford-Lindsay, Duchess of Rothes (born September 1, 1631 – died July 1, 1689), was an important Scottish noblewoman. She was the daughter of John Lindsay, 1st Earl of Lindsay, who was a powerful government official in Scotland, and Lady Margaret Hamilton.

Anne's Family Life

Anne married John Leslie, who held the titles of 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. Together, they had two daughters:

• Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes (died August 20, 1700). She married Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington (around 1650 – 1685) and had children.
• Lady Christian Leslie. She first married James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose (1657–1684) and had children. Later, she married Sir John Bruce (before 1671 – March 19, 1710).

Anne's Religious Beliefs

Anne was a very religious woman and a strong Presbyterian. This was a type of Protestant Christianity common in Scotland. She was well-known for supporting the Covenanters. The Covenanters were a group in Scotland who wanted to protect their Presbyterian faith and resist the king's attempts to change their church.

Anne often went to secret outdoor church meetings called conventicles. She also frequently invited Covenanters to her home, Leslie House in Leslie, as her guests.

A Family Divided by Faith

Anne's husband, John Leslie, had very different religious views. He strongly believed in bringing back the episcopacy, which meant having bishops lead the church, similar to the Church of England. He worked closely with King Charles II's government, which was against the Covenanters.

Even though they disagreed, John Leslie usually tolerated his wife's support for the Covenanters. He would sometimes joke with Anne when he saw them at Leslie House. He might say, "My lady, I would advise you to keep your chickens inside, or I might pick some of them up."

Helping the Covenanters

There was a time when John Leslie had to search his estate for hiding preachers. He warned Anne by saying, "My hawks will be out tonight, my lady, so you had better take care of your blackbirds!"

To help the Covenanters, Anne would place a white sheet on a tree on a nearby hill. This signal could be seen from far away and warned them to hide. People also asked Anne to use her influence with her husband and the government officials, called the Privy Council. She would try to get lighter punishments for the Covenanters. One of the officials who was very strict with Covenanters was Archbishop Sharp, who was a distant relative of her husband and sometimes visited Leslie House.