John Walkinshaw Crawford of Crawford, 20th Laird of Auchinames

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN WALKINSHAW-CRAWFORD of CRAWFORDLAND

Lieutenant-Colonel John Walkinshaw-Crawford of Crawfordland died unmarried at Edinburgh, in February 1793, aged 72. Clan MacFarlane and associated clans genealogy

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 accompanied his ill-fated friend to 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 charity resulted in his name’s being placed at the bottom of the army list. 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 (mentioned earlier), and her daughter, also Elizabeth. The case was eventually won in the House of Lords in 1806, but sadly Elizabeth died before winning her long battle, and the ancient estates passed back to the rightful heir, her daughter.

Craufurd died, unmarried, on February 19, 1793 in Edinburgh, leaving Craufurdland Estate to his friend Thomas Coutts, an eminent banker. The will was contested by his aunt, Elizabeth Craufurd, and her daughter, also Elizabeth. The elder Elizabeth died in 1802, but the legal battle waged on until 1806 when the matter was decided in favor of her daughter, Elizabeth Houison Craufurd of Craufurdland and Braehead. The younger Elizabeth was married to Reverend James Moody, who assumed the name James Houison Moody Craufurd. He appears in this collection as the primary correspondent regarding this matter.
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