Crawford

The family name of the Crawfords, who are believed to be of Norman origin, is taken from the barony of the same name in Lanarkshire. In 1296, Sir Reginald Crawford was appointed sheriff of Ayr. His sister, Margaret, married Wallace of Elderslie, and was the mother of Sir William Wallace, the great Scottish patriot. The Crawfords rallied to their cousin in his struggle against English domination. The family of the sheriff of Ayr also produced the main branches of this family, who sere styled "Auchinames"and "Craufurdland". Sir William Crawfurd of Craufurdland was one of the bravest men of his time and was knighted by James I. He fought with the Scots forces in the service of King Charles VII of France and was wounded at the siege of Creyult in Burgundy in 1423. Craufurdland followed James IV to the sorry field of Flodden where he perished in the company of much of the Scottish nobility. The splendid Castle of Craufuldland was much extended by the 16th Laird in the 17th century. John Walkinshaw Craufurd, the 20th Laird, 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 he 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 List, thus ensuring poor promotion prospects. However, he restored his fortunes 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 estates to Sir Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker. The deed was, however, contested by Elizabeth Craufurd, who eventually won her case in the House of Lords in 1806, and the ancient estates passed back to the rightful heir. The branch of the family thereafter united the houses of Houison and Craufurd, and they still live at Craufurdland.