Earl of Crawford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Crawfordheld with Earldom of Balcarres |
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.svg) Earls of Crawford: Quarterly, 1st and 4th Gules, a fesse, chequy, argent, and azure, (Lindsay); 2nd and 3rd, or, a lion rampant, gules, debruised of a ribbon in bend, sable (Abernethy).
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| Creation date | 1398 |
| Monarch | Robert II of Scotland |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | Sir David Lindsay |
| Present holder | Anthony Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford |
| Heir apparent | Alexander Thomas Lindsay, Lord Balniel |
| Remainder to | heirs male of the body of the grantee |
| Subsidiary titles | Earl of Balcarres Lord Lindsay of Crawford Lord Lindsay and Balniel Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall |
| Seat(s) | Balcarres House |
| Motto | Endure Fort (Endure bravely) |
The Earl of Crawford is a very old and important noble title in Scotland. It was first given to Sir David Lindsay in 1398. This title is one of the oldest noble titles still existing in Great Britain. It is considered the most senior earldom in Scotland.
Contents
The First Earls of Crawford
Sir David Lindsay was the 9th baron of Crawford, Lanarkshire. He married Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Crawford, who was a daughter of King Robert II of Scotland.
King Robert II gave David Lindsay the title of Earl of Crawford in 1398. He also gave him Crawford Castle.
The title usually passed down from father to son. However, something unusual happened after the 8th Earl, David Lindsay, died in 1542. His son, Alexander, was known as the Wicked Master. He often argued with his father and even tried to murder him.
The Wicked Master was sentenced to death for his crime. Because of this, the 8th Earl decided to pass his title to a cousin, also named David Lindsay. This cousin was a descendant of the 3rd Earl of Crawford. The Wicked Master's children were not allowed to inherit the title.
However, the 9th Earl, even though he had his own sons, chose the Wicked Master's son, David, as his heir. So, when the 9th Earl died in 1558, the earldom went back to the main family line. The 9th Earl is sometimes called an "interpolated Earl" because he was outside the direct line.
How the Earldom Changed Hands
When Ludovic Lindsay, the 16th Earl of Crawford, died, the title went to a cousin named John. This happened even though there were other family members who were closer heirs. John had already been made the Earl of Lindsay.
So, the titles of Earl of Crawford and Earl of Lindsay were held by the same person for a while. This continued until the 22nd Earl died in 1808 without marrying or having children. Both earldoms then became "dormant." This means no one officially held the title until a rightful heir could prove their claim.
In 1843, James Lindsay, the 7th Earl of Balcarres, said he was the rightful heir to the Earldom of Crawford. In 1848, the House of Lords (a part of the British Parliament) agreed with him. His son, Lord Lindsay, had done a lot of research to prove this claim.
It was decided that James Lindsay's father, the 6th Earl of Balcarres, was the true successor to the Earldom of Crawford. Even though he had not claimed it, he was officially declared the 23rd Earl of Crawford after his death. His son, the 7th Earl of Balcarres, then became the 24th Earl of Crawford. Since then, the Earldom of Crawford and the Earldom of Balcarres have been held by the same person. The Earldom of Lindsay, however, is now separate.
The Earl of Crawford was even mentioned in an episode of the TV show Keeping Up Appearances. The character Hyacinth Bucket joked about getting her milk from the "very attractive herd" on his estate.
Between 1963 and 2019, the 28th and 29th Earls were known as the Premier Earls of Scotland. This means they were the most senior Earls in Scotland.
Other Titles and What They Mean
The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres also holds other titles. These are called "subsidiary titles." They include: Lord Lindsay of Crawford (created in 1398), Lord Lindsay and Balniel (1651), and Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall (1826).
The first two subsidiary titles, like the earldoms, are part of the Peerage of Scotland. The barony (Baron Wigan of Haigh Hall) is part of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This meant that the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres could sit in the House of Lords. This was true even before a law in 1963 allowed all Scottish peers to sit there.
The 29th Earl also sat in the House of Lords as Baron Balniel. This was a special title given to him for life in 1974. He received it after leaving the House of Commons (another part of Parliament). This happened while his father was still alive.
The Earl of Crawford is also the traditional Clan Chief of Clan Lindsay. This means he is the leader of the Lindsay family clan.
Where the Earls Lived
The main family home, called the "family seat," is Balcarres House. It is located in Colinsburgh, Fife, Scotland. Until the 1940s, they also lived at Haigh Hall in Lancashire, England. The Earls of Crawford are traditionally buried in the family chapel at Balcarres House.
Who Were the Earls of Crawford?
Here is a list of the people who have held the title of Earl of Crawford since it was first created:
- David Lindsay, 1st Earl of Crawford (died 1407)
- Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford (c. 1387–1438)
- David Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Crawford (died 1445)
- Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford (died 1453)
- David Lindsay, 1st Duke of Montrose, 5th Earl of Crawford (1440–1495)
- John Lindsay, 6th Earl of Crawford (died c. 1513)
- Alexander Lindsay, 7th Earl of Crawford (died 1517)
- David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford (died 1542)
- David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford (died 1558)
- David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford (died 1574)
- David Lindsay, 11th Earl of Crawford (c. 1547–1607)
- David Lindsay, 12th Earl of Crawford (died 1621)
- Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford (died 1622)
- George Lindsay, 14th Earl of Crawford (died 1633)
- Alexander Lindsay, 15th Earl of Crawford (died 1639)
- Ludovic Lindsay, 16th Earl of Crawford (died 1652)
Later Earls of Crawford
The title changed hands in 1642, going to a different branch of the family:
- John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford, 1st Earl of Lindsay (c. 1598–1678)
- William Lindsay, 18th Earl of Crawford, 2nd Earl of Lindsay (1644–1698)
- John Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford, 3rd Earl of Lindsay (died 1713)
- John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford, 4th Earl of Lindsay (1702–1749)
- George Lindsay-Crawford, 21st Earl of Crawford, 5th Earl of Lindsay (1723–1781)
- George Lindsay-Crawford, 22nd Earl of Crawford, 6th Earl of Lindsay (1758–1808) (The title became dormant in 1808)
- Alexander Lindsay, 23rd Earl of Crawford, 6th Earl of Balcarres (1752–1825) (This was the "de jure" or rightful Earl, even though he didn't claim it)
- James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford, 7th Earl of Balcarres (1783–1869) (He officially revived the title in 1848)
- Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford, 8th Earl of Balcarres (1812–1880)
- James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford, 9th Earl of Balcarres (1847–1913)
- David Alexander Edward Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford, 10th Earl of Balcarres (1871–1940)
- David Alexander Robert Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford, 11th Earl of Balcarres (1900–1975)
- Robert Alexander Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford, 12th Earl of Balcarres (1927–2023)
- Anthony Robert Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford, 13th Earl of Balcarres (born 1958)
The current Earl's son, Alexander Thomas Lindsay, Lord Balniel (born 1991), is next in line to inherit the title. His son, Ludovic James Lindsay, Master of Crawford (born 2020), is next after him.
The Crawford Family Coat of Arms
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See also
- Lindsay family tree (shows how some of the Earls are related)
- Crawford Priory
- Earl of Balcarres
- Earl of Lindsay
- Endure Pursuivant
