William Cranstoun, 1st Lord Cranstoun facts for kids

William Cranstoun (died June 1627) was a Scottish nobleman. He became the first Lord Cranstoun. He played a very important part in bringing peace to the border area between Scotland and England in the early 1600s.

William Cranstoun's Family

William Cranstoun was the son of John Cranstoun of Morriestoun. His grandfather was Cuthbert Cranstoun. His family was a well-known Scottish clan from the Scottish Lowlands. A "clan" is a large family group. Their lands had been in places like Cranston and Denholm in the Scottish Borders since at least the 1300s.

William married Sarah, who was the second of five daughters of Sir John Cranstoun. Their marriage agreement was signed in December 1580.

William Cranstoun's Important Work

King James VI gave William Cranstoun an important job. He became the Captain of the Horse Garrison, also known as the King's Guard. He worked under the Earl of Dunbar, who was in charge of the Borders.

By 1605, Cranstoun was also the keeper of Lochmaben Castle. He was also a deputy-lieutenant for the Borders. This meant he helped the Earl of Dunbar manage the area.

Cranstoun quickly became known for being very strict. He used a tough approach to bring order. This method was sometimes called "Jeddart Justice". It meant dealing with problems very quickly and firmly. He was given special pardons more than once. These pardons protected him from any past actions.

In 1608, Cranstoun represented the small landowners of Roxburghshire in the Convention of Estates. This was a meeting of important people in Scotland. He was made a nobleman, becoming Lord Cranstoun, on November 19, 1609. In 1611, he took over from Lord Dunbar as the main leader of the Borders. He also joined the Privy Council, which was a group of the King's closest advisors.

Sir John Balfour Paul wrote about him in The Scots Peerage. He said that Cranstoun was a very energetic and brave man. Even though his strict rule made some people unhappy, his efforts brought law and order back to the Borders. This area had not been so peaceful for many years.

William Cranstoun died in June 1627.

His Children

William Cranstoun and his wife had at least seven children:

• John Cranstoun, 2nd Lord Cranstoun (died in or before 1648)
• James Cranstoun (died 1633). He married Elizabeth Macgill and later Elizabeth Stewart. He was sent out of the country in August 1610 for challenging another person to a duel.
• Henry Cranstoun (died after 1653). He was a colonel of horsemen for Roxburghshire in 1644. He married Margaret Wauchope.
• Thomas Cranstoun
• Agnes Cranstoun
• Elizabeth Cranstoun. She married John Edgar.
• Barbara (or Janet) Cranstoun. She married James Seton in November 1615.