Remains of Roman Fort in the Barony of Crawford, July 2002.
This Family Background has been expanded to a full hard bound book which is now available in a very nice gift format.
INTRODUCTION
The Crawford Family name originated in the Southern Uplands of Scotland where the upper Clyde River Valley (Strathclyde) of South Lanarkshire for centuries was associated with the chief events of Scottish history. Crawford is translated from Strathclyde Gaelic to be a crossing of blood; a bloody (CRU) pass (FORD) and hence Cruford. Within the ancient Crawford homelands in Lanarkshire the remains of a fort lay on the right bank of the upper River Clyde where it is supposed many bloody conflicts took place between the Romans and Britons. This fortress was built at a remote period of antiquity and much later was the scene of one of the noble exploits of Sir William Wallace. [400, 402, 403, 406]
For centuries landed nobility bore a conspicuous part in all the prominent events of Scottish history. When Scotland was a separate kingdom, the King selected Lords, Dukes, Marquises, Earls and Barons to serve as members of the hereditary governing Council. Through several land charters the Crawfords continued to be members of the Council who ruled Scotland while it was independent. These land charters were the basis for the establishment of family branches from which 3 rose to prominance within the Clan. These 3 are identified as the branches of Auchinames, Crawfurdland, and Kilbirnie. It should be noted that other family centers with their own land charters existed in the southern uplands as demonstrated by feudal maps, control of Kerse Castle, and a known early land charter west of Ayr. Some of these centers are cadets of the major branches.
HISTORICAL ORIGIN
There are widespread references that claim the Crawfords are of Caledonian descent or descended through the Earls of Richmond in Yorkshire via an early grant of the Crawford Barony to Alan, the youngest son of the 4th Earl of Richmond who descended from the Duke of Brittany. The latter appears to be an erroneous convolution of a later event, earlier ancestors, and a change of names (Gregan to Alan). This confusion is explained by the settlement of a person named Thor in Perthshire during the mid-1100's who had a son named Swane, the progenitor of Clan Ruthven, who was supposed to have had a daughter who married Alan. These individuals appear many years too late for Clan Crawford origins. Furthermore, it seems quite unlikely that Normans were running around Scotland at a time when Scotland was filled with angry, armed, and exiled Anglo-Saxons, including an Anglo-Saxon Queen who had personally suffered at the hands of the Normans. [401]
Nevertheless, the most sensible genealogy declares the Crawfords of Scotland are derived from an Anglo-Danish chief named Thorlongus (Thor the Tall), son of Lefwin or more commonly Leofwine. The Danes had invaded the east coast of England between East Anglia and Northumbria in 886 and settled in with the earlier Angle and Saxon immigrants. However, in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated Anglo-Saxon King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, after which William began purging the landholders in England loyal to the Anglo-Saxon monarchy for the purpose of consolidating control by eliminating potential challenges to his sovereignty.
Scottish King Malcolm Canmore (reign 1057-1093) was raised in semi-autonomous Northumbria geographically between Scotland and England where he was introduced to the Anglo-Saxon nobility and Danish landholders. In 1068 Malcolm married (2nd marriage) the sister of King Harold's uncrowned successor, Margaret, who fled north from England. As the Norman purges progressed after 1066, Thor also was driven from Northern England to Berwickshire in Scotland sometime between 1068 and 1070 where he was granted asylum. [402, 403]
In a report commissioned centuries ago by the Scottish Parliament it is specifically stated in Latin and translated to English, "This nobleman, of English class, strongly similar to Thor in the book commonly called the Doomsday Book, was frequently remembered as having been deprived of his great possessions as war booty by William the Conqueror." [407]
Malcolm was accepting refugees from England to strengthen his defensive position. Consolidating his power in Scotland against William the Norman benefited Malcolm. After ravaging a portion of Northumbria, which William never really controlled, and driving Thorlongus into Berwickshire, William invaded Lothian by sea in late 1071 and stayed until he peacefully negotiated a treaty with Malcolm in early 1072.
Two records survive that document Thor's later acitivities. The first, called the Charter, is found in a cartulary of the 1200's. A cartulary is a secondary source similar to a deed register. The second is preserved as the original document in Durham Cathedral. The first document, the original of which is shown in this author's published book, is translated from Latin as follows:
Charter of Thorlongus
The family of Thorlongus, entirely yours, offers salutations to my Lord and the Holy Mother Church. Be it known that my Lord Edgar, King of Scotland, gave uninhabited Edenham (Ednam) to me, that I myself, with his assistance and my own assets, inhabited and built a church in honor of St. Cuthbert, which church with a ploughshare of land I grant to God and St. Cuthbert and the monks, to be possessed forever by them. Therefore, this donation is affected for the soul of Lord King Edgar, and for the souls of my departed father and mother, and for the redemption of my late brother, Lefwine, and for my own body and soul. And since this donation is sanctified, for the self righteous who serve some time cleverly stealing authority from God Almighty, the living celestial King, may the devil and angels grant sustained eternal punishment.
This Charter states that Edgar is King of Scotland (1097-1107), that Edgar granted Ednam (2 miles northeast of Kelso) to Thor, that Thor has settled and developed the area around Ednam, that Lefwine is Thor's brother, and most importantly that Thor had living family or descendents. The idea that Thor gave away his estate because he had no heirs is not supported by any document and appears to be in contradiction to the language of this charter as he mentions his living family in the introduction. Finally, Thor must have had time to accomplish the task of developing the area, and therefore probably lived there for some time before granting the land away.
The second document, the original of which is shown in this author's published book, is translated from Latin as follows:
Affirmation of Charter
To Your generous Lord David the Earl, Thor entirely yours, offers salutations. Be it known that my Lord King Edgar, your brother, gave to me uninhabited Ednaham (Ednam), which I, by his assistance and my own assets, developed and built a church from the foundation, in honor of St. Cuthbert, which your brother, the King, dedicated, and in addition I developed a ploughshare of land. With holy intentions I have given this same church and land to the aforesaid Saint and his monks for the souls of my Lord King Edgar, your father and mother, and our King Alexander and Queen Mathilda. Wherefore I pray that you, as my generous Lord, for the souls of your parents and for the health of the living, may grant the same to St. Cuthbert and his monks who serve in perpetuity.
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| Seals of Thorlongus |
This record is a letter to David, Earl of Dunbar, afterwards King David I, requesting him to confirm the land donation. Alexander (1107-1124) was the regent. Thor was the first non-royal individual to sponsor the construction of a church within the borders of Scotland. Thor's seal shown above (seated) is attached to the Affirmation while the drawing of the seal below (standing) was attached to the Charter.
David Howlett in his published work The Scottish Latin Tradition comments that Thor had access to people capable of drawing up these exceptionally sophisticated documents which indicates that Thor had connections with King David's court.
Thor's seal contains a few noteworthy points. First, this vesica-shaped seal was used at the beginning of the 12th century. The seal is among the oldest example of seals of Scottish lay people and therefore no one is able to determine whether it is unique or representative. It does, however, resemble in shape the many examples of seals shortly thereafter while allowing for representative individualism in the posed figure. It has the inscription, "Thor sends his friendship" in Latin. The figure in the seal is wearing a great kilt in the ancient tradition. And the kilt appears to be made with a tartan pattern as shown by faintly visible regular patterns in the kilt material. A plaid (blanket) is worn over the shoulder with a traditional brooch to fasten it to the shoulder.
Thor had a son, Swane (Anglo for Sven), who was granted the lands of Swinton (Sven's Town) in Berwickshire 10 miles northeast of Kelso. Sven had a son, Galfridus Swaneson, who migrated westward to Lanarkshire. At this point we consider two slightly different possibilities because the record is scarce.
First, we may consider that Swane Thorson was also granted the Barony of Crawford in Lanarkshire either by Malcolm (1057-1093) or Edgar (1097-1107) sometime in the roughly estimated period 1090-1100. As Swane already had his charter in Berwickshire and his name is found in the Church records of Berwickshire, then it is less likely that Swane migrated to Lanarkshire for any reason.
Secondly, since we know that later defined adjacent parishes of Crawford and Crawfordjohn were granted to the sons of this Galfridus Swaneson, then we may assume that either Edgar (1097-1107) or Alexander (1107-1124) had granted Galfridus this land in Lanarkshire that was previously entirely known as the Barony of Crawford. Based on the Charter and Affirmation of Thorlongus, the grant of the Barony of Crawford to Galfridus may have taken place roughly around 1105-1110.
In any case, the Barony of Crawford is established in the descendants of Thorlongus before 1110. These events were far too early for the Thor and Swane of Perthshire who were connected to the 4th Earl of Richmond in the mid-1100's.
Thor had another son named William, whose name appears on charters in the archives of the Cathedral of Durham and in the Monastery at Coldingham. William has been said by one source to be the progenitor of the Clans of Swinton, Gordon, Nisbet, Ridpath, and Dunse, but this of minor interest to Clan Crawford origins.
There are several sources for records of the origins period that may be used to search for traces of Leofwine, the father of Thor, who was most likely living in Mercia and defending against Danish invasion in Anglia at the time of the Norman invasion. It has been suggested that Leofwine and Thorlongus were products of the Anglo-Saxon ruling family as great grandson and 2nd great grandson of Alfred the Great. This suggestion is consistent with circumstantial evidence such as the preferential treatment of Thorlongus and his descendants in Scotland by what would have been his cousin, Queen Margaret, the second wife of King Malcolm. Furthermore, these names are consistent with the Anglo-Saxon records. It is also consistent with the report commissioned by the Scottish Parliament which identified Thorlongus as an extensive landholder in England.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles maintained until 1154 by the Anglo-Saxon monarchy records the principal events of each year. The Doomsday Book compiled before 1086 is a census of the chartered landholders in England, 85% of whom were Norman nobility and knights who migrated from Normandy to England after Hastings. The Battle Abbey Roll of Knights is a record of the Norman participants in the invasion of England. And there are church records that are currently being identified by this author.
EARLY LINES
Galfridus Swaneson had two sons, Hugh and Reginald. From the eldest son, Hugh, came the prime family branch of Crawford parish within the original Barony chartered to Galfridus. Another portion of the original Barony later known as Crawfordjohn parish was granted to Reginald (1080-1160). Its not known exactly when this division took place, but placing this event after the grant to Galfridus then the division would have happened roughly in the period 1110-1125.
The earliest official reference to the Crawford surname is in 1127 when two knights of this surname served under King David I (1124-1153), Sir John (Johannes) and Sir Gregan de Crawford, both of whom were the sons of previously mentioned Reginald of Crawfordjohn parish. As oldest son, John received his father's lands in the upper Strathclyde. It is from this John who died in 1140 that the parish received the name Crawfordjohn. Yet another John, the great grandson of that John (d 1140), established the Kilbirnie branch of the Crawfords in North Ayrshire.
In 1127 the above mentioned Gregan, second son of Reginald of Crawfordjohn, was the hero of the legendary incident when he saved King David from a charging stag, the King then founding Holyrood (Holy Cross) Abbey in Edinburgh in commemoration. Another version of the incident has Gregan saving Alan, the heir and only son of the powerful Norman nobleman Sir Reginald de Chaunissey, Earl of Richmond. Mainstream histories including that of Holyrood Abby, however, leave no question that the key character of this incident was King David.
Nevertheless, this incident is recalled in the appearance of the stag crowned with a patriarchal cross in the Chief's Arms as well as the Clan motto translated as "For your trust our strength is returned." The Cross of Lorraine in the modern Clan Crest is a later modification of the earlier patriarchal cross. For this action Gregan was granted land by King David east of Ayr and established the Dalmagregan branch of Clan Crawford.
And for a final time, the Crawford surname is already in the records in 1127, many years before the 4th Earl of Richmond was involved with the Scots in the mid-1100's.
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| Remains of Crawford Manor in Kilbirnie | ||
In the charter of William Lindsay conferred by King William the Lion (1165-1214), Johannes de Crawford is mentioned. The Crawford family is also mentioned in charters of 1170, 1190, 1228, 1230, and 1248. The Crawfords in the upper Strathclyde had for many years been allied with the Lindsay family with evidence in land charters and marriages. Lindsays served as the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres beginning with Sir James Lindsay in 1398. In about 1220 the ancestor of James Lindsay, Sir David de Lindsay of Wauchopdale, inherited the lands of Crawford Barony by marriage to the heiress of the Earldom, the younger daughter of the chartered land holder John Crawford. Sir John Crawford died without male issue in 1248, leaving two daughters. The elder daughter, Margaret, married Archibald de Douglas in about 1215, ancestor of all the Douglases whose descent can be traced.
Without male heirs in the prime family branch, the right to Clan Chief passed from the prime male heirs of Galfridus' 1st son Hugh to the prime male heirs of his 2nd son Reginald. Thus, when John Crawford died in 1248, the current Sheriff of Ayrshire became the Clan Chief. In this manner the Clan Chiefdom was established in the Auchinames branch of Clan Crawford as the continuous line of prime male heirs of Galfridus' second son, Reginald of Crawfordjohn parish.
William the Lion (1165-1214) in the year 1196 appointed yet another Sir Reginald de Crawford (1180-1250) from Crawfordjohn as the heritable Sheriff of Ayrshire. The Crown Office of High Sheriff of Ayrshire was long held by his prime male descendents. The Sheriff was essentially the Crown's chief executive and decided appeals from the Courts of Barony throughout the shire. Reginald was sometimes called Ranald or Ronald. In about 1200 Reginald quartered the Arms of Loudon upon his marriage with Margaret de Loudon, the heiress of that extensive barony. By inheritance, the second Sheriff of Ayrshire was Hugh, the oldest son of the first Sheriff. John, a younger son of this first Sheriff of Ayrshire is the ancestor of the Clan branch at Crawfurdland in Ayrshire. Finally, a 2nd great grandson of the first Sheriff of Ayrshire was granted Auchinames in Lanarkshire much later by King Robert Bruce (1306-1329) in 1320.
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| Margaret Crawford's grave at Dunfermline Abby |
Sir Hugh Crawford, Reginald's prime grandson, was the 3rd Sheriff of Ayrshire and lived in the village of Corsbie (now known as Crosshouse, 3 miles northwest of Kilmarnock center). Hugh's daughter, Margaret, married Sir Malcolm Wallace of Ellerslie in Ayrshire 1 mile west of Kilmarnock (not to be confused with Elderslie in Renfrewshire) and became the mother of Sir William Wallace, the immortal hero of Scotland.
With the power and influence of the High Office of the Sheriff of Ayrshire within their family, Margaret Crawford's father and brothers risking life and property provided protection for William Wallace after his initial fateful clash with the English. At this time Wallace's father was dead and his Wallace uncles were under close surveillance of the English, so it was Wallace's Crawford uncles who were influential in training him in the arts of diplomacy, war, and languages as well as nurturing his tremendous desire to re-establish an independent Scotland. Margaret's father, Hugh, was treacherously murdered by agents of King Edward I (Longshanks) in Ayr in mid-June 1297 with many of the barons of the Council at the infamous Barns of Ayr incident. As a footnote, it was the grand daughter of Margaret's brother, Reginald, who married Duncan Campbell in 1318 and established the Campbell homelands on lands around Loudon Castle inherited from the Crawford family.
Sir William Crawford of Elcho accompanied his cousin, Wallace, to the French court of King Phillip IV in 1299 to plead the case of Scottish independence. Wallace's younger brother John and uncle Sir Reginald Crawford, both of whom were prominent in the service of both Wallace and Robert the Bruce, were executed at Carlisle in 1303 for their loyalty to Wallace. Wallace was later executed in August 1305 in London. "In the year of our Lord 1314, patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They fought like Scotsmen and won their freedom." As Bannockburn is in Stirlingshire just north of Lanark, there is no doubt that the several branches of Crawfords and Wallace's older brother Malcolm fought in the memory of their previously executed brothers, nephews, cousins, and uncles in this struggle for Scottish independence.
If my server is online, just for fun you may download a sound clip from the movie Braveheart. (MP3 format, 2 Mbyte) If my server is presently offline you will get a "file missing" message in the next frame.
CRAWFURDLAND BRANCH
Sir William Craufurd, the 7th Laird of Craufurdland, was a brave soldier who was knighted by King James I (1406-1437). He fought with the Scots for King Charles VII of France and was wounded at the siege of Creyult in Burgundy in 1423. In 1513 several members of the Crawfurdland branch perished at the Battle of Flodden with many of the Scottish nobility.
John Walkinshaw Craufurd, the 20th Laird of Crawfurdland, was a distinguished soldier who, after entering the army at an early age, rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was present at the victory of Dettingen in 1743, also distinguishing himself at Fontenoy two years later. Despite his faithful service to the house of Hanover, he was an intimate and faithful friend of the Jacobite Earl of Kilmarnock, and attended his ill-fated friend on the scaffold as a last act of comradeship. He received the Earl's severed head and attended to the solemnities of his funeral. This act of Christian charity resulted in his name being placed at the bottom of the Army's Promotion List.
However, he restored his fortune and in 1761 he was appointed Falconer to the King. Despite his devotion to his friends, he did not seem to share a similar affinity for his family. He died in 1793 and in his will left his entire estate to Sir Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker. The deed was, however, contested by his daughter, Elizabeth Craufurd, who eventually won her case in the House of Lords in 1806, and the ancient estates passed back to the rightful heir. This branch of the family thereafter united the houses of Houison and Craufurd when Elizabeth married, and they still live at Craufurdland.
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| Stately Craufurdland Castle, June 1971, remains privately owned by the Houison-Craufurd family. |
The castle at Craufurdland was extensively expanded in the 1600's and later restored in the 1980s with the help of a grant from the Historic Buildings Council of Scotland. Additional information from this family branch may be obtained by writing:
Mrs. Caroline Houison-Craufurd
Craufurdland Castle
Kilmarnock, Scotland
United Kingdom KA3 6BS
FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS
During the reign of James II (1437-1460) the Earl of Douglas allied with his cousin, the most powerful noble south of the Forth River, the Earl of Crawford, to counter the power of the King in a long running dispute. Crawford (Lindsay) continually ravaged the lands of the church at St. Andrews to weaken the ability of the King to prosecute Douglas. Being frustrated, the King personally murdered Douglas and that eventually led to a lynching of the King.
During the reign of James III (1460-1488) descendants of Archibald Craufurd created the families of Auchenairn, Beanscroft and Powmill. Archibald's son John was killed at the Battle of Flodden near the North Sea costal town of Berwick in 1513. Robert, the son of Archibald of Auchnames, was also killed in this battle.
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| Tomb Marker of Thomas Crawford |
The last struggles of the Protestant Reformation were waged in the late 1500's. Queen Mary, who attempted to reinstall a Catholic Regency, was exiled to France but still controlled Dunbarton and Edinburgh castles. Her son, James VI, was Protestant and controlled the remainder of the country.
On 2 April 1578 Captain Thomas Crawford of Jordanhill (Kilbirnie Branch), a member of the household of Lord Darnley (murdered husband of Queen Mary), captured Dunbarton Castle for James VI in a raid reminiscent of the era of William Wallace. Using ropes and ladders, Thomas and his small force of 50 men in the darkness of early morning scaled the seemingly insurmountable cliffs and walls protecting the fortress.
Sir James Flemming, the castle commander, and his wife were the only escapees from the castle. The Crawford Family crest has ever since been on display in Dunbarton Castle with the motto Ex Pugnavi, as a commemorative of the event. Sir Thomas Crawford later received the surrender of Edinburgh Castle. Scotland was once again united by a product of the Crawford Clan.
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| Tomb of Thomas Crawford outside Kilbirnie Kirk |
Kilbirnie Manor and Kirk (Church) were ancient possessions of the family. The manor was destroyed by fire in 1757 and the Earl of Crawford later had it repaired. The Arms of the twelve families allied with the Crawfords are emblazoned on the front of the gallery of the Kirk. Kilbirnie Kirk attracts the curious in heraldry and antiquities and is a fair specimen of a humble Scottish Kirk.
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| Gallery inside Kilbirnie Kirk |
Lawrence Crawford was born at Jordanhill, Glasgow, in 1611. From an early age Crawford fought in the armies of Christian IV of Denmark, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Charles Louis, Elector Palatine. In 1641, he went to Ireland as a colonel of infantry under Ormond. When the Cessation of 1643 was signed, Crawford angrily refused to be transferred to England to serve King Charles, regarding the Royalists as little better than Papists. He was arrested by Ormond but escaped to Scotland, then went to England, where he persuaded Parliament to grant him a commission. In 1644, he was appointed Major-General of Foot and second-in-command to the Earl of Manchester in the Eastern Association army.
Almost as soon as he was commissioned, Crawford quarrelled with Lieutenant-General Cromwell over his toleration of Anabaptists and sectaries amongst his officers. After the battle of Marston Moor, Cromwell demanded that Crawford be dismissed from command; the Earl of Manchester called on the Committee of Both Kingdoms to mediate, but Cromwell himself withdrew the demand in the interests of military expediency. Crawford supported Manchester when Cromwell denounced his leadership before the House of Commons in December 1644. Rather than serve in the New Model Army, Crawford transferred to Parliament's Western Association army under the command of fellow-Presbyterian Edward Massey. He was killed in action at the siege of Hereford in 1645.
CLAN CHIEFS
Southern Upland Scots were never eager participants in the Clan System as the English influence was much stronger in that region. However, over the years, many Southern Upland families developed connections in the north and recognized the Highland culture without full immersion in the activities. To avoid giving the wrong impression, its fair to say that Scottish society has been influenced by contemporary culture and, therefore, is quite anglicised and, more recently, americanised.
Nevertheless, grants of Arms, nowadays from the Lord Lyon, King of Arms, are a tradition born centuries ago of necessity, but always based on the idea that the Family progenitor bequeaths his Arms to his prime branch, just as Chieftainship passes in the Clan System. Therefore, through the extensive records of the Lord Lyon that are maintained in Edinburgh, the prime family branch may be easily traced through grants of Arms.
In the Clan System there is only one Chief at a time and he is identified not only by his unique Arms, but also by the right to wear 3 eagle feathers with his clan crest on his bonnet, of course, when dressed traditionally. A clan chieftain is a regional representative of the Clan appointed by the Chief and is identified by his right to wear 2 eagle feathers with the clan crest. An armiger is any member of the clan with his or her own unique Arms and is identified by the right to wear 1 eagle feather with the Clan crest. All Clan associates are entitle to wear the crest by inheritance, adoption, or grant.
The following is a chronological list of the "Chiefs." A horizontal line denotes a deviation from the father-1st son succession.
CONCLUSION
Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire was the castellated seat of the house of Crawford. Crawford of Auchinames in Lanarkshire was Chief of the Name, the descendant of whom, Hugh Crawford, 31st of Auchinames, died in Canada in recent years (1960's) having first sold his heritable property.
Several other family branches were consolidated around old chartered land grants scattered throughout Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, which are adjacent counties several miles south of Glasgow. These other numerous land holdings have at various times included Kerse Castle and the adjacent Cathcarts Crawfords. During the civil war and interregnum (1640-1660) as well as during the clearances (1700's) some of the Crawfords immigrated to Northern Ireland to establish homelands. But certainly there was migration between Scotland and Ireland long before.
In 1790 the US Congress authorized the first official national census. There were 364 Crawford entries in the AIS Federal Census Index. The typical American Crawford family had an average of 5.5 members. The Crawford families were distributed in Pennsylvania (84), New York (37), North Carolina (31), South Carolina (27), Maryland (18), Massachusetts (12), Connecticut (7), Maine (5), Delaware (4), Georgia (3), New Hampshire (3), and Vermont (1). 1,600 single adult and juvenile Crawfords were not included among these families, many of which were frontier people living in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio, which were territories. Additional large distributions were in Virginia and New Jersey, where population lists were reconstructed from tax lists and, therefore, not entirely complete.
Crawford was the 75th most frequent surname at the Scottish Registry Office in 1995. The Clan plant is boxwood and is typically attached to spears, staffs, and guidons or worn on the bonnet at traditional gatherings. Wearing of the Clan plant was the primary ancient method of Clan identification and was replaced in the early 1800's by unique Clan tartans that were and still are recorded in the National Tartan Registry.
