Crawford and Balcarres, Earl of

Title of members of the Scottish family of Lindsay. The first of this name to settle in Scotland was probably Walter de Lindsay, an Anglo-Norman baron of the reign of David I (1124-1153). The current holder of the title is Robert Alexander Lindsay, (1927- ). The title will pass to his son, Anthony Robert Lindsay, (1958- ).

David, 5th Earl (c.1440-1495), became very powerful and was created Duke of Montrose in 1488 for his support of James III against the rebellious barons. John, 20th Earl (1702-1749), served with the Imperial army under Prince Eugène, then in Russia and Turkey. In 1747 he was appointed to the command of the Scots Greys, became lieutenant general, and fought at Dettingen and Fontenoy.

David Lindsay of Glenesk (c.1360-1407), created earl of Crawford in 1397, married Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Robert II, and is the hero of the tournament against Lord Welles described in Andrew of Wyntoun's Cronykill. Alexander, 4th Earl (died 1454), was famed for his violent and ferocious character, and was surnamed the Tiger Earl. His estates were forfeited for an attempt, together with other Scottish nobles, to dethrone King James II. Alexander, 9th Earl (died 1542), was called the Wicked Master of Crawford and forfeited his title, which passed to David Lindsay of Edzell (died 1558), but David died without issue and the son of the Wicked Earl succeeded to the title in 1558.

The Byres branch In the Reformation struggles the elder branch of the Lindsays took the Catholic side, which brought about their ruin and the succession to the earldom of the Byres branch of the family. Patrick, 6th Lord Lindsay of the Byres (died 1589), a Protestant, helped compel Mary Queen of Scots to resign her crown. His grandson, John, was high treasurer of Scotland, and his great-grandson, William (1644-1698), was president of the Parliament after the revolution of 1688, and leader of the party which overthrew the episcopacy.

Reversion to the earls of Balcarres The earldom reverted to the earls of Balcarres on the death in 1808 of George Lindsay, 22nd earl. The title was not assumed by them, however, until 1848, when James, 7th Earl of Balcarres, (1783-1869) established his claim to it before the House of Lords. Alexander William Crawford Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford and 8th Earl of Balcarres (1812-1880), was well known as a writer on religious art and on philosophy. He was also the founder of a magnificent private library at Haigh Hall, Lancashire. He was succeeded by his son, James Ludovic (1847-1913), a noted astronomer, who founded an observatory at Dun Echt, Aberdeenshire, with a library containing one of the finest collections of early astronomical books in the world. In 1896 the instruments and books were transferred to the new Royal Observatory on Blackford Hill, Edinburgh. His son, David Alexander Edward Lindsay (1871-1940), succeeded to the title in 1913. He was for many years Unionist Whip in the House of Commons, where he sat 1895-1913, and held a number of ministerial posts. He was succeeded by his son, David Alexander Robert Lindsay (1900-1975), who was in turn, succeeded by his son, Robert Alexander Lindsay (1927- ).