David Lindsay, 12th Earl of Crawford facts for kids

David Lindsay, the 12th Earl of Crawford (born 1577, died 1620), was an important Scottish nobleman. He lived during a time when Scotland and England were ruled by the same king, King James VI.

Early Life and Family Background

David Lindsay was born in a place called Crawford in Lanarkshire, Scotland. His father was David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford, and his mother was Griselda Stewart. Her father was John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl, another important Scottish noble.

Challenges and Later Years

David Lindsay faced many challenges during his life. In 1605, he was involved in a serious conflict with a relative, Sir Walter Lindsay of Balgavie. This led to him being declared an outlaw, meaning he was wanted by the law. He managed to avoid being caught for a while, partly because the Privy Council (a group of the King's advisors) was slow to act. King James VI even had to tell them off for this.

Later, in 1607, David Lindsay was attacked by Sir Walter's relatives. During this attack, his companion, Alexander, Lord Spynie, was killed, and David Lindsay himself was hurt.

In 1608, David Lindsay appeared before the Privy Council and promised to be loyal to the King. However, he continued to have problems with the law. To stop him from losing more of the family's lands and wealth, his relatives decided to keep him under watch. He was held in Edinburgh Castle, a famous Scottish fortress, where he passed away in February 1621. After his death, the title of Earl of Crawford went to his uncle, Sir Henry Lindsay of Kinfauns.

Historian Thomas Henderson described David Lindsay as someone who showed the most extreme examples of the wild and wasteful behavior that had sometimes been seen in his family line.

Family Life

David Lindsay married Jean Kerr on April 16, 1610. She was the daughter of Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian. Before they separated, they had one daughter named Jean.