Clan Crichton
Encyclopedia
Clan Crichton is a Lowland
Scottish clan
.
formed one of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh
and are mentioned in charters of the early 12th century.
by King David I of Scotland
in 1128. Thomas de Crichton swore fealty to King Edward I of England
in the Ragman Roll of 1296. Thomas had three sons each of whom extended the family holdings. His second son William Crichton married Isabel de Ross
who was heiress to the barony of Sanquhar in Dumfrieshire.
from 1468 to 1469. His eldest son Robert Crichton was created a peer with Lord Crichton of Sanquhar by King James III of Scotland
in 1487.
Another descendant of Thomas de Crichton was Sir William Crichton
who was also the Chancellor of Scotland during the minority of King James II of Scotland
. Following the death of his rival the William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
, Sir William Crichton organised the infamous Black Dinner at Edinburgh Castle
which he was also governor of at the time. The young King James was in residence and the new Earl of Douglas and his brother were invited to dine at the royal banquet. After dinner the two Douglases were dragged out to Castle Hill and executed. The Douglases
then laid siege to Edinburgh Castle. Crichton perceiving the danger surrendered the castle to the King and was raised to the title of Lord Crichton.
The 2nd Lord Crichton obtained through marriage the barony Frendraught in Banffshire
. The third Lord Crichton joined the Duke of Albany
in his rebellion against his royal brother King James III of Scotland which culminated in the Battle of Harlaw
in 1411.
in their long feud against Clan Gordon
. By 1571 the feud had got to the point where other clans began taking sides. Other opponents of the Gordons such as Clan Keith
and Clan Fraser
also joined forces with Clan Forbes. However the Clan Leslie
, Clan Irvine
and Clan Seton
who had their own feuds with the Forbeses joined forces with Clan Gordon. The feud culminated in two full scale battles in 1571; The Battle of Tillieangus and the Battle of Craibstone. It was at the Battle of Tillieangus that the 6th Lord Forbes's youngest son known as Black Aurther Forbes was killed. Legend has it that "he stooped down to quench his thirst and one of the Gordons gave him his death blow through an open joint in his armour".
1582, Perhaps the most celebrated Crichton was James who lived within the reign of both Queen Mary and King James VI. He was also a superb equestrian, a feared swordsman and accomplished in all social graces. It is claimed that 50 doctors put questions to him of mind bending complexity which he answered with ease and the next day he attended a public joust and became champion of the field. At a carnival in 1582 Crichton was set upon by a gang of masked bandits who discovered that his reputation was not vanity. He promptly killed 5 of his attackers and turned to dispatch the 6th on discovering that his opponent was none other than his young pupil, Vincenzo, he dropped his guard and Vincenzo stabbed him in the heart.
James Graham
the 1st Marquess of Montrose
. The Clan Cricton fought at the Battle of Invercarron. It is said that Chief Frendraught Crichton gave his horse to Montrose during a battle at Invercarron so he could evade capture. Crichton was taken prisoner but, considering the fate of Montrose was probably fortunate that he died of his wounds before he met a similar end.
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
.
Clan history
The lands of KreittonCrichton, Midlothian
Crichton is a small village in Midlothian, Scotland, around 2 miles south of Pathhead and the same east of Gorebridge. The name is derived from the Gaelic word crioch, which means border, and the Old English word tune which means farm or settlement....
formed one of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and are mentioned in charters of the early 12th century.
Early Crichtons
Thurstan de Cechtune was a witness to the foundation of the Holyrood AbbeyHolyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace of Holyroodhouse was expanded...
by King David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
in 1128. Thomas de Crichton swore fealty to King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in the Ragman Roll of 1296. Thomas had three sons each of whom extended the family holdings. His second son William Crichton married Isabel de Ross
Clan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
who was heiress to the barony of Sanquhar in Dumfrieshire.
15th century & clan conflicts
A descendant of his Robert de Crichton of Sanquhar was sheriff of Dumfries in 1464 and coroner of NithsdaleNithsdale
Nithsdale , also known by its anglicised gaelic name Strathnith or Stranit, is the valley of the River Nith in Scotland, and the name of the region...
from 1468 to 1469. His eldest son Robert Crichton was created a peer with Lord Crichton of Sanquhar by King James III of Scotland
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
in 1487.
Another descendant of Thomas de Crichton was Sir William Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was an important political figure in Scotland.He held various positions within the court of James I. At the death of James I, William Crichton was Sheriff of Edinburgh, Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and Master of the King’s household...
who was also the Chancellor of Scotland during the minority of King James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
. Following the death of his rival the William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas was a short-lived Scottish Nobleman. He was Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and Annandale in Scotland, and de jure Duke of Touraine, Count of Longueville, and Sire of Dun-le-roi in France...
, Sir William Crichton organised the infamous Black Dinner at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
which he was also governor of at the time. The young King James was in residence and the new Earl of Douglas and his brother were invited to dine at the royal banquet. After dinner the two Douglases were dragged out to Castle Hill and executed. The Douglases
Clan Douglas
Clan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...
then laid siege to Edinburgh Castle. Crichton perceiving the danger surrendered the castle to the King and was raised to the title of Lord Crichton.
The 2nd Lord Crichton obtained through marriage the barony Frendraught in Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
. The third Lord Crichton joined the Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British, royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover....
in his rebellion against his royal brother King James III of Scotland which culminated in the Battle of Harlaw
Battle of Harlaw
The Battle of Harlaw was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland against those from the west coast....
in 1411.
16th century & clan conflicts
In 1571 Clan Crichton took the side of Clan ForbesClan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
in their long feud against Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
. By 1571 the feud had got to the point where other clans began taking sides. Other opponents of the Gordons such as Clan Keith
Clan Keith
Clan Keith is a Scottish clan associated with Aberdeenshire and Caithness.-Origins:It is said that a Scottish warrior slew the Danish General Camus at the legendary Battle of Barrie in 1010. For this, King Máel Coluim II of Scotland dipped three fingers into the blood of the slain and drew them...
and Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
also joined forces with Clan Forbes. However the Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Origins:The family name comes from the Leslie lands of Aberdeenshire and was to become famous in Germany, Poland, France and Russia...
, Clan Irvine
Clan Irvine
-Origins of the clan:As a surname Irvine is of territorial origins from one of two places of the same name. Firstly from Irving, an old parish in Dumfriesshire and from Irvine in Ayrshire....
and Clan Seton
Clan Seton
Clan Seton is a Scottish clan which does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.-Origins of the Clan:The name Seton is believed to be derived from the village of Sai in Normandy although other explanations have been suggested, such as from Tranent meaning "a sea...
who had their own feuds with the Forbeses joined forces with Clan Gordon. The feud culminated in two full scale battles in 1571; The Battle of Tillieangus and the Battle of Craibstone. It was at the Battle of Tillieangus that the 6th Lord Forbes's youngest son known as Black Aurther Forbes was killed. Legend has it that "he stooped down to quench his thirst and one of the Gordons gave him his death blow through an open joint in his armour".
1582, Perhaps the most celebrated Crichton was James who lived within the reign of both Queen Mary and King James VI. He was also a superb equestrian, a feared swordsman and accomplished in all social graces. It is claimed that 50 doctors put questions to him of mind bending complexity which he answered with ease and the next day he attended a public joust and became champion of the field. At a carnival in 1582 Crichton was set upon by a gang of masked bandits who discovered that his reputation was not vanity. He promptly killed 5 of his attackers and turned to dispatch the 6th on discovering that his opponent was none other than his young pupil, Vincenzo, he dropped his guard and Vincenzo stabbed him in the heart.
17th century & Civil War
During the Civil War Clan Crichton supported the RoyalistCavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
James Graham
Clan Graham
Clan Graham is a Scottish clan who had territories in both the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.-Origins:Legend has it that the first Graham was one Gramus who forced a breach in the Roman Antonine wall known as Graeme's Dyke in 420 A.D...
the 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
. The Clan Cricton fought at the Battle of Invercarron. It is said that Chief Frendraught Crichton gave his horse to Montrose during a battle at Invercarron so he could evade capture. Crichton was taken prisoner but, considering the fate of Montrose was probably fortunate that he died of his wounds before he met a similar end.
Clan castles
- Crichton CastleCrichton CastleCrichton Castle is a ruined castle situated at the head of the River Tyne, near the village of Crichton, Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies two miles south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge, at . A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle.-History:In the late...
was the seat of the chief of Clan Crichton from the late 14th to 15th century. - Sanquhar CastleSanquhar CastleSanquhar Castle, now a ruin, was built by the Crichton family in the 13th century. Situated on the southern approach to the former royal burgh of Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland, it sits on the trail of the Southern Upland Way, and is passed by hundreds of visitors who walk...
was built by the Crichtons in the 13th century. - Blackness CastleBlackness CastleBlackness Castle is a 15th century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of...
was built by the Crichtons in 1445.
Clan Crichton today
- ChiefScottish clan chiefThe Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
: David Crichton of that Ilk - Seat: Monzie Castle, CrieffCrieffCrieff is a market town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich and also lies on the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins onto the A823 which leads to Dunfermline....