Clan Crawford
The Scottish Clan Crawford hails from the Scottish Lowlands and has roots in Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon ancestry. While some historians have speculated about Norman origins, the clan has been recognized historically as a clan by the Court of the Lord Lyon, although it is now an armigerous clan due to the lack of a chief. The last chief, Hugh Ronald George Craufurd, sold his land and moved to Canada in 1904, leaving no male heirs. The surname Crawford comes from the barony of Crawford in Lanarkshire, adopted around 1125 when Norman knights came with King David I to Scotland and instituted Norman feudalism. The Crawfords are said to have a connection to the foundation of Holyrood Abbey, as Sir Gregan Crawford saved the king's life from a stag.
Sir Reginald Crawford, who was appointed sheriff of Ayr in 1296, is recorded as the earliest member of the clan. His sister was married to Wallace of Elderslie and was the mother of Scottish patriot William Wallace. The Crawford family rallied to their Wallace cousin during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The chiefly line is thought to be that of Auchinames in Renfrewshire, who received a land grant from Robert the Bruce in 1320. The clan later split into different families, with Auchinames and Craufurdland being the main branches.
Throughout the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, members of the Crawford clan fought in various conflicts, including the Wars of Scottish Independence, and Thomas Crawford became a member of the household of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, who married Mary, Queen of Scots. During the 18th century, John Walkinshaw Crawford, the 20th Laird, was a distinguished soldier who fought against the French in the Battle of Dettingen and Battle of Fontenoy. Although he was a faithful friend of the Jacobite Earl of Kilmarnock, during the Jacobite rising of 1745, he followed Kilmarnock to the scaffold, and his name was placed at the bottom of the army list as a result.
Sir Alexander Craufurd of Kilbirnie was created baronet in 1781, and his son Robert Craufurd commanded the Light Division in the Peninsular War. He died in 1812 leading his troops in an assault on the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, and a monument was erected to him in St Paul's Cathedral, London. The 21st Laird of Auchinames, Hugh Crawford, emigrated to Canada in the early 20th century, having sold the ancient clan lands. The clan's castles have included Auchinames Castle in Renfrewshire, Craufurdland Castle in Ayrshire, and Almond Castle.
