Crawford of Fedderate

Patrick de Crawford of Fedderate, is the first for whom there is extant evidence but whether he was the first to acquire Fedderate or else succeeded to them by right of inheritance cannot now be determined.[1] He is styled “domino de Fedderate,” when witness to Instruments taken by Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen, and John de Forbes, Lord of that Ilk, on 14 July 1391, confirming a friendship between them for the remainder of their lives[2] and was dead by November 1417. He was succeeded by;

Philip de Crawford of Fedderate, was likely the son and heir of the former and had succeeded to Fedderate and is styled “dominum de Fethray” when a member of the assize at the perambulation of the marches of the lands of Tarvas and Udny on 2 November 1417.[3] The next for whom there is evidence is;

Patrick de Crawford of Fedderate, was witness to Instruments by William, Earl of Errol, for the infeftment of William de Hay of Ury, his uncle, in the lands of Slains on 20 July 1455.[4] He also witnessed a charter by Thomas Graham of Scatyrty to Alexander Fraser of Philorth for the lands of Scatyrty and Bytht, in the barony of Kinedward, on 15 January 1469/70.[5] He died by August 1474 and was succeeded by;

William Crawford of Fedderate, was in all likelihood the son and heir of the former.[6] He had succeeded by 12 August 1474, when he was one of the bailies appointed by Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth for the infeftment of his son and heir, Alexander Fraser, in the lands of Mamsy, and on 10 May 1487, he granted a Bond of Manrent to William, Earl of Errol.[7] He had a remission under the Privy Seal on 7 December 1501 for having stolen thirty-one head of cattle from Sir William Keith of Inverugy[8] and made a resignation to his grandson and heir, George Crawford, for the lands of Meikle Creich in 1519. He died in 1523 having had issue;

Thomas Crawford, younger of Fedderate, married by 15 February 1488/89, to Katherine Ogilvy when, on his father’s resignation, they had a conjunct charter under the Great Seal for the lands of Allathane, Bothmacalay and Broklaw, all in the barony of Fedderate.[9] He granted a Bond of Manrent to William Hay, Master of Errol, on 23 February 1506[10] and consented to a charter by his father by which he disponed to John Anderson, Burgess of Aberdeen, the lands of Meikle Creich on 6 September 1507.[11] He was a member of an assize at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 29 April 1511 and died v.p. in 1513, in all probability during the Flodden campaign of August of that year.[12] He was father of,

George Crawford of Fedderate, (see below).
William Crawford, witnessed a charter by John, Earl of Buchan, to Alexander Panton of Petmedden for the lands of Allandane and The Syde on 6 July 1531, and is then styled brother to George Crawford of Fedderate.[13]

George Crawford of Fedderate, succeeded his grandfather in the lands of Fedderate, in which he was infeft upon chancery precept dated 9 May 1524[14] and on his own resignation, he had a new charter for the lands of Fedderate under the Great Seal on 19 March 1529/30, which the king erected into a free barony.[15] He died in March 1573[16] having married firstly, by 4 March 1519, to Janet Irvine when, on his grandfather’s resignation, they had a conjunct charter under the Great Seal for the lands of Meikle Creich.[17] They had a second joint charter for the lands of Quhilts on 10 February 1527/28.[18] Surviving that wife, he married secondly, by 4 August 1553, to Agnes Ogilvy, (she died in August 1573), when on his resignation, they had a conjunct charter for the town and lands of Culchye.[19] He was father of,

Walter Crawford, younger of Fedderate, (see below).
Alexander Crawford, is included with his father in letters under the Privy Seal to George, Earl of Huntly, on 28 September 1543, of their escheat goods for the murder of a man named Carrick.[20]

Walter Crawford, younger of Fedderate, is styled eldest son and apparent heir when included with his father in a respite to William, Earl Marischal, and his retainers on 3 June 1544, for having remained away from the royal oist at Falla in October 1542.[21] He died v.p. before April 1573, and was father of,

William Crawford of Fedderate, became heir to his grandfather and had special service as heir to him in the barony of Fedderate on 6 April 1573.[22] He was infeft in those lands by Sasine of 14 July 1573 and disponed them to Alexander Irvine of Drum that same month.[23] He married Christine, daughter of Alexander Fraser, 7^th of Philorth, with whom he had a joint charter for the lands of Meikle Creich on 9 November 1561[24] and died at Banff, on 1 April 1590.[25] He was father of,

George Crawford. He and his brother Hew were subjects of a complaint to the Privy Council by Alexander Irving of Drum on 29 April 1590 who having obtained decreet again them for payment of £500 and desisting from further occupation of the lands of Fedderate, sent John Fairweather, messenger, to execute letters but upon whom they “shamefullie putt violent handis in the said Johnne Fairweddir, messenger, straik and dang him with swerdis and utheris waponis on the heid and utheris pairtis of his body, to the effusioun of his blude in grite quantite.” On that same day they also “come, as brigandis and vagaboundis” to federate castle and “seized and entered the same, expelled the servants, and intromitted with all the silver work and plenishing found therein, quilk hous thay have fortifeit and stuffit with men, munitioun and victual, and hes associate and convocat to thameselffis ane grite nowmer of debosheit vagaboundis, sornaris and oppressouris, be quhais assistance thai intend not onlie to keip and detene the said hous as ane house of weir aganis his Majestie and his authoritie, bot to grant reset and refuge thairin to all rebellis, fugitives and outlwis.”[26]
Hew Crawford,

______________________

[1] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 2, p. 426. Reference is made in 1373 to Patrick de Cravforde, collector of the barony of Fedderate. It is probable but not certain that he acquired those lands after that date and before 1391.

[2] Reg. Aberdeen, Vol. 1, pp. 188-189.

[3] Liber Aberbrothick, no. 53.

[4] GD86/17.

[5] Abstract included in Frasers of Philorth, Vol. 2, no. 28.

[6] He appears to have been the one responsible for the construction of Fedderate castle about 1474 and also for its extension in 1519.

[7] Erroll Papers, no. 8.

[8] PS1/3/20.

[9] C2/12/187.

[10] Errol charters, no. 16.

[11] C2/14/368.

[12] C2/34/9.

[13] C2/24/174.

[14] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 15, p. 618.

[15] C2/23/137.

[16] C22/1/11.

[17] C2/20/85.

[18] C2/22/68.

[19] C2/31/108.

[20] PS1/18/2.

[21] PS1/18/50.

[22] C22/1/11.

[23] C2/34/10. See also: GD33/24/4.

[24] C2/32/590.

[25] Chronicle of Aberdeen.

[26] RPC First Series, Vol. 4, p. 477-478.