'Crichton06'
Index links to: Lead / Letter DRAFT
Families covered: Crichton of Cluny, Crichton of Cranston Riddell, Crichton of Eliock, Crichton of Lugton, Crichton of Naughton
This family is still being researched. It has NOT yet been launched formally into the Database but is shown here as DRAFT in the hope that one or more visitors to the site will contribute information that will enable us to develop this page to an acceptable standard.
First displayed: 03.08.17Last updated: 03.08.17Back to 'Can You Help ?
| This page is being used to pull together information on the Crichtons of Cranston Riddell (in Midlothian), Cluny (Fife), Cluny (Perthshire), Eliock (in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire), Gilmerton, Lugton and Naughton. The information appears to include contradictions so we suspect that earlier researchers have sometimes been overly presumptuous on some issues. It appears that we still lack reliable information that could help us produce definitive pedigrees of these families. This leads us to be presumptuous ourselves but at least we report that to be the case! Note that: (a) 'A System of Heraldry' by Alexander Nisbet (1816 edition, vol 1, p279), with this being repeated almost verbatim by electricscotland.com, reports that "David Crichton of Cranston, who is descended of Frendraught, was one of the Commissioners nominated by King James III. in the treaty of marriage with his Majesty, and Margaret, daughter of the King of Denmark." That marriage took place in 1469 so David, who would probably have been of age by then, was probably born by 1448. Frendraught (in Huntly, Aberdeenshire) came into the Crichton family through the marriage in about 1443 of William, 2nd Lord. That implies that the above-mentioned David Crichton of Cranston, the first mentioned below, was son of that William. (b) 'Life of James Crichton of Cluny commonly called The Admirable Crichton' (Patrick Fraser Tytler, 1819), which book is referred to below as 'The Admirable Crichton', is surprisingly unclear about the ancestry of the Admirable Crichton. However, it does (p9+) report that he "was allied to a family of ancient and hereditary nobility: and it is certain that William, the third Lord Crichton, married Lady Margaret Stewart, daughter of King James the Second. By his mother, Elizabeth Stewart, he couild trace a lineal, though not a legitimate, descent from Robert, Duke of Albany, the uncle of James the First. He was connected, therefore, on both sides, with the royal family of Scotland". This suggests that he was closely connected to William, 3rd Lord Crichton. - Because of (a) & (b), we presume that the undermentioned David Crichton of Cranston was indeed a son of William, 2nd Lord Crichton, and so we make that connection. Note that this makes his descendants cadets of the line of Frendraught, not of the line of Sanquhar. This contradicts the common report that the Crichtons of Cluny were of the House of Sanquhar. It is certainly possible that the main reason why Crichton of Cluny is thought descended from Crichton of Sanquhar was because Eliock, which was owned by the Lord Advocate, is in the parish of Sanquhar. Anther reason (seen suggested for Cluny being cadet of Sanquhar) is given by 'RedBookScot' ("Crichton of Cluny"), which we have not made use of below except as clearly identified, and is that Edward Crichton, Lord Sanquhar, and his uncle John of Ryhill and also Bishop Robert, were in 1566 confirmed as "next of kin of the father's side" of sons of Robert Crichton of Eliok. However, we have seen examples of "kin" being used quite broadly with "next of kin" being an overly-presumptuous interpretation of the term (in its context) and so, given that, according to (d) following, Cluny was passed to the Lord Advocate by Bishop George who, was of the line of Naughton, we are not fully convinced of the need to ignore that latter suggestion. Nevertheless, that makes us uneasy, particularly as "Sanquhar and the Crichtons" (Douglas Crichton, 1907, p22) clearly reports that Robert, father of the Admirable Crichton, "descended from the Crichtons of Sanquhar". (c) www.electricscotland.com ("Crichton") suggests that Bishop George, Bishop was "a son of Crichton of Naughton". The first Crichton of Naughton, who obtained that estate after his father-in-law was killed at Flodden (1513), was Sir Peter. Provisionally, we show Bishop George as brother of Sir Peter rather than a generation later, this providing the link to later Crichtons of Naughton. However, we do so partly because of the influence of the Wikipedia article referred to in (f) below and so may be wrong. (d) 'Fife (P&H)' (vol 2, p84) reports that in 1475 the Earl of Angus sold Cluny (Fife) to David Crichton of Cranston. Patrick of Cranston Riddell apparently succeeded and in 1521 Partick was succeeded by his son James. 'Fife (P&H)' then jumps to George Crichton of Cluny, illegitimate son of Abraham Crichton (Provost of Dunglass), who died before 1583 leaving 2 daughters, Margaret & Christian. We have not attempted to place that Abraham Crichton below. However, we have taken note of that Cranston line from David to Patrick to James. We presume that the David mentioned (a 1475) was the same as the David (a 1469). That implies that Patrick and/or James was born when his father was not particularly young. (e) 'The Admirable Crichton' (p6) reports that Bishop George was brother of Lord Advocate Sir Robert of Eliock (in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire) & Cluny (Perthshire). As shown below, we suspect that Bishop George was actually uncle rather than brother of the Lord Advocate. We do not take that view easily (and we reserve the right to change our mind on this at any time!) for, of all our sources, we think that Patrick Fraser Tytler (author of 'The Admirable Crichton') would have been particularly keen to avoid such a mistake. (f) Wikipedia ("Robert Crichton (bishop)") reports (or at least it did so on 03.08.17) that Bishop Robert was nephew of Bishop George and a younger son of Sir Patrick of Cranstoun. Wikipedia also reports that Bishop Robert was Provost of St Giles in Edinburgh in 1517. To have been of adult status then, he would have been born no later than 1496. However, adult status was not always necessary (although a Provost was normally quite a senior position) but it is still likely that he would have been born no later than (say) 1500. That suggests that Bishop Robert was 2 or (at most) 3 generations after Sir David and so that Bishop George was a son or (just possibly) grandson of Sir David. Not least because of the linkage given between the Cluny branch and the Cranston branch, that article has made quite an impact on what we show below. However, we recognise that, whilst it is a fantastic resource, for genealogical matters at least Wikipedia does not hold the highest reputation for thorough research. (g) 'Fife (P&H)' (vol 2, p85) reports that there were "at one time two distinct septs bearing the designation of Crichton of Cluny" because there was a Cluny in Fife as well as one in Perthshire. This raises the thought that some may have confused the 2 families, and it also raises the thought that there could have been 2 distinct lines of Crichtons of Cranston (which might explain some of the problems in reconciling the information we have). The following attempts to pull these points together along with cross-references from elsewhere in the database. It should be viewed as speculative! |
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| Sir David Crichton of Cranston Riddell (b mid-late 1440s?, a 1469, a 1475?, d by 1506?) | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Sir Patrick Crichton of Cranston Riddell (d by 1521?, Captain of Edinburgh Castle) | ||||||||||||||
| Some web sites show Sir Patrick as son of Robert Crichton, 1st Lord of Sanquhar. ## see here ## | |||||||||||||||
| A. | (Sir) James Crichton of Cranston Riddell (a 1521) | ||||||||||||||
| i. | Sir James Crichton of Cranston Riddell (b 1515, d by 1540) possibly of this generation | ||||||||||||||
| m. (c1538) Janet Beaton (b 1519, d 01.1568-9, dau of Sir John Beaton, 2nd of Creich, m2. Simon Preston of Craigmillar) | |||||||||||||||
| ii. | Katherine Crichton possibly of this generation | ||||||||||||||
| m. Alexander Stewart, 5th of Garlies (b c1507, d c1594/01.1580/1) | |||||||||||||||
| B. | Robert Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld (b before 1500?, d 03.1585) | ||||||||||||||
| See note (f) above for an explanation of his attributed date of birth. | |||||||||||||||
| C. | Robert Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| 'Senators of The College of Justice' (Bruton & Haig, 1836, p176+) identifies the Lord Advocate as "Supposed to have been son of another Robert Crichton". Showing the Lord Advocate as nephew rather than brother of Bishop George contradicts 'The Admirable Crichton' but the dates seem to support him being a generation later (see the note under Bishop George below). It is of course possible that the Lord Advocate was an (illegitimate?) son of Bishop Robert. That there may have been 2 Roberts of the same generation would not have been impossible. | |||||||||||||||
| i. | Sir Robert Crichton of Eliock (in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire) & Cluny (Perthshire) (d 06.1582, Lord Advocate, Senator as Lord Eliock) | ||||||||||||||
| m1. Elizabeth Stewart (dau of Sir James Stewart of Beath) | |||||||||||||||
| a. | James 'the Admirable' Crichton of Cluny (b 19.08.1560, d 03.07.1582)§P§ |
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| Information on James's family comes from 'The Admirable Crichton'. | |||||||||||||||
| b. | Henry Crichton mentioned in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") | ||||||||||||||
| c. | (Sir) Robert Crichton of Cluny | ||||||||||||||
| m. Margaret Stewart (dau of James Stewart, 5th Lord Innermeath) | |||||||||||||||
| (1) | Robert Crichton mentioned in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") | ||||||||||||||
| (2) | Marie Crichton mentioned in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") | ||||||||||||||
| m. (mcrt 1609) George Herring, younger of Glasclune | |||||||||||||||
| d. | Margaret Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| m. (1580) Sir Robert Dalzell, 1st Earl of Carnwarth (d 1639) | |||||||||||||||
| e. | Mary (Marie) Crichton who married ... | -- | |||||||||||||
| m. (mcrt 02.02.1586) Sir James Stewart of Sticks & Ballechin (d 1627) | -- | ||||||||||||||
| f. | Grissell Crichton who married ... | ||||||||||||||
| m1. Thomas Dunbar of West Grange (d 1620) | |||||||||||||||
| m2. James Sinclair of Murkell | |||||||||||||||
| m2. (mcrt 06.08.1572) Agnes Mowbray (dau of John Mowbray of Barnbougall) | |||||||||||||||
| g. | Agnes Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| m3. Isobella Borthwick (dau of David Borthwick of Lochill, etc., 'Lord Menmuir') | |||||||||||||||
| h. | Marion Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| m. (before 29.01.1594-5) George Graham of Myreside, Bishop of Orkney (b 1565, d 19.12.1643) | |||||||||||||||
| i. | Helen Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| m. (by 17.12.1593) Thomas Greirson, younger of Barjarg mentioned in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") | |||||||||||||||
| j. | Elspeth Crichton presumably the Elizabeth shown in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") as married to ... | ||||||||||||||
| m. James Donaldson | |||||||||||||||
| D. | Henry Crichton of Riccarton mentioned in 'RedScotBook' ("Crichton of Cluny") as a brother of Bishop Robert | ||||||||||||||
| E. | Janet Crichton possibly of this generation | -- | |||||||||||||
| m. John Douglas, 2nd Earl of Morton (d by 09.1515) | -- | ||||||||||||||
| F. | Agnes Crichton possibly of this generation | -- | |||||||||||||
| m. (before 20.02.1509-10) Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford (d 24.07.1526) | -- | ||||||||||||||
| 2. | George Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld (d 24.01.1543-4) possibly of this generation | ||||||||||||||
| 'The Admirable Crichton' (p10) reports that Bishop George "had already conveyed his lands and castle of Cluny to his brother the Lord Advocate; and, when he found himself becoming too old for the active duties of his see, he offered to resign his bishoprick in favour of another relation of the family, of the name of Robert Crichton." A note on that page then reports of that Robert Crichton that he "is called by Spottiswood, nephew to the bishop; but his lineage and history are extremely difficulty discovery. It is at least certain, that he is not the same person with Sir Robert Crichton of Cluny, second son of the Lord Advocate, and brother to the Admirable Crichton, because he is Bishop of Dunkeld in 1561, at which time Sir Robert Crichton was not born." As reported above, Wikipedia suggests that Robert Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld, was indeed nephew of Bishop George. As Wikipedia may be relying on Spottiswood, and as Patrick Fraser Tytler (who prepared 'The Admirable Crichton') implies that Spottiswood may not be reliable on this, that throws some uncertainty on the issue. | |||||||||||||||
| 2. | Sir Peter Crichton of Naughton (a 1517) possibly of this generation | ||||||||||||||
| m. Janet Hay (dau/heir of Sir James Hay of Naughton (who d Flodden 1513)) # see here # | |||||||||||||||
| A. | ?? Crichton presumed intermediary generation | ||||||||||||||
| i. | David Crichton of Naughton (d c1553) | ||||||||||||||
| m. (before 11.03.1540-1) Janet/Jean Leslie (d 17.12.1591, dau of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes) presumed parents of ... | |||||||||||||||
| a. | ?? Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| (1) | ?? Crichton | ||||||||||||||
| Uncertain on number of intermediary generations. | |||||||||||||||
| (A) | Sir David Crichton of Naughton | ||||||||||||||
| Identified in 'The New Statistical Account of Scotland' (1845, vol 1 (List of parishes - Edinburgh), p500) as "commissioner for the shire of Edinburgh" in 1640. | |||||||||||||||
| 3. | Marion Crichton (d by 1516) possibly of this generation | ||||||||||||||
| m1. John Menzies of that ilk | |||||||||||||||
| m2. James Tweedy of Drumelzier | |||||||||||||||
| m3. William Baillie of Wattiston (or Lamington?) | |||||||||||||||
| m4. (before 1511) Sir Robert Hamilton of Fingalton & Preston (d before 1522, m1. Margaret Mowat) | |||||||||||||||
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| Debrett's Peerage (vol 2 (Scotland) 1790, 'Earl of Dumfries', p108) identifies David, youngest son (by Elizabeth Fleming) of William Crichton, (3rd) Lord of Sanquhar, as ancestor of the Crichtons of Lugton. That is not consistent with the following as Lord William & Elizabeth Fleming married in March 1540/1, some years after their alleged grandson was born. However, as shown on Crichton03, we believe that Debrett was confused with the lordships and it is possible that David, ancestor of the Lugton line, was originally identified as son of the 3rd Lord, whom we identify as Robert who died in/before 1520. Provisionally and speculatively, we make that connection. | |||||||||||||||
| David Crichton | |||||||||||||||
| 1. | Patrick Crichton of Kinglassie (and Lugton?) | ||||||||||||||
| The following comes from various web sites, mainly RootsWeb, which suggests that the following line was a cadet of Crichton of Cranston Riddell. | |||||||||||||||
| m. (c1533) Geillis Cranston (dau of William Cranston of Rathobyres) | |||||||||||||||
| A. | Patrick Crichton of Lugton & Gilmerton (b c1536) | ||||||||||||||
| m. Margaret Hoppringle (dau of Adam Hoppringle of Burnhouse) | |||||||||||||||
| Margaret is shown as sister of the Elizabeth Hoppringle who married William Spottiswood. The only such pairing we see (here) cannot be right as that William died at Flodden in 1513. | |||||||||||||||
| i. | Patrick Crichton of Lugton | ||||||||||||||
| m. (by 1557) Elizabeth Leslie (dau of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes) | |||||||||||||||
| a. | David Crichton of Lugton possibly of this generation (one later?) | ||||||||||||||
| (1) | Elizabeth Crichton (d before 28.03.1650) | ||||||||||||||
| m. Sir Alexander Hamilton of Priestfield (d 1649, General) | |||||||||||||||
| ii. | Beatrix Crichton this would make her 25-30 years younger than her husband, not impossible but could be a generation earlier? | ||||||||||||||
| m. John Spottiswood (b 1509/10, d 12.1585) | |||||||||||||||
Main source(s): as reported above with cross-references from elsewhere in the database
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