David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford facts for kids

David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford (born around 1547 – died 1607) was an important Scottish nobleman and a member of the king's special council.

He was the oldest son of David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford. His mother was Margaret, daughter of Cardinal Beaton. David had four younger brothers and one sister.

Life as a Nobleman

David Lindsay was known for spending a lot of money. He also liked French culture and his religious beliefs were not always clear.

In 1578, he was involved in a fight that led to the death of John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis, who was a powerful judge. The two noblemen and their followers met in Stirling. They tried to avoid a fight, but their groups started arguing. During the struggle, Lord Glamis was killed. Many people thought David Lindsay was responsible. One writer even said that Lindsay was a good shot and Glamis was an easy target because he was so tall.

After this event, David Lindsay was sent to Edinburgh Castle as a prisoner. Later, he was allowed to go home to Cairnie in Fife. He promised to return if called upon. When he didn't return on time, his friends who had promised for him had to pay a large fine. However, he was later found innocent of the crime. He then promised not to harm Thomas Lyon, who was the guardian of the young heir to Lord Glamis.

Not long after, David Lindsay traveled to France. He was allowed to stay there for three years. He came back to Scotland before 1581.

Supporting the King

In 1582, David Lindsay was one of the nobles who supported the king after he escaped from a situation called the raid of Ruthven. This was when the king had been held against his will by some nobles.

Soon after, David Lindsay was given important jobs. He became the king's master of horses and was made the leader of Dundee, even though some people in the town didn't want him. When the Earl of Arran became powerful again, David Lindsay became one of his main supporters. He even carried the king's sword at a special meeting of parliament.

He also helped escort the young Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox when he arrived from France. In 1584, David Lindsay took part in the trial of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie. After this earl lost his lands, David Lindsay received some of them from the king.

Later, in 1585, David Lindsay was captured along with the king and the Earl of Arran at Stirling Castle by other nobles. He was held prisoner for a short time.

Political Challenges

In 1587, there was a special dinner at Holyrood House to try and make peace between rival nobles. David Lindsay even walked arm in arm with his old enemy, the Master of Glamis. But these peace efforts did not last.

David Lindsay had become a Catholic. He was involved in some secret plans with other Catholic nobles. In 1589, he and another nobleman, Huntly, gathered their forces near Perth. They even captured the treasurer, Glamis, and held him for a while. When the king arrived with a smaller army, they gave up their troops.

David Lindsay surrendered in Edinburgh in May 1589. He said that Huntly had tricked him into believing he had the king's permission to gather forces. He was found guilty of treason and sent to St Andrews Castle. He was released a few months later. He might have gone to France again, but he was back in Scotland by 1591. He continued to attend meetings of the king's council and his disagreements with Lord Glamis also continued.

David Lindsay died before October 15, 1607, in Cupar, Fife. He was buried in Dundee.

Family Life

David Lindsay married twice. His first wife was Lilias Drummond.

His second wife was Griselda Stewart. They had four children together: David, James, Claude, and Agnes.