Sir John Crawfurd, 1st Baronet

Sir John Crawfurd, 1st Baronet, of Kilbirnie was a Scottish landowner and politician.

Early life

Crawfurd, a member of Clan Crawford, was the eldest son, and heir, of John Crawfurd of Kilbirnie and Lady Mary Cunningham. Among his siblings were Robert Crawfurd, Margaret Crawfurd, James Crawfurd, Ann Crawfurd, Helen Crawfurd, and Agnes Crawfurd.
His paternal grandparents were John Crawfurd of Kilbirnie and Margaret Blair. Through his sister, Ann, he was uncle to Sir Alexander Cuninghame, 1st Baronet. His maternal grandparents were James Cunningham, 7th Earl of Glencairn and the former Margaret Campbell. Among his maternal family were uncle William Cunningham, 8th Earl of Glencairn, and aunts Lady Ann Cunningham, Lady Margaret Cunningham and Lady Catherine Cunningham.

Career

Crawfurd was knighted by King Charles I, and took part in the Civil Wars as Commander of the Royalist Regiment of Foot.
He was created 1st Baronet Crawfurd, of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 14 May 1628, with, presumably, remainder to heirs male whatsoever, but the creation is not in the Great Seal Register or in the Registrum Preceptorum Cartarum pro Baronettis Novæ Scotiæ, neither is there record of any grant or seizin of lands in Nova Scotia. He served as a Member of Parliament of Scotland for Ayrshire in 1644.

Personal life

Crawfurd married Hon. Margaret Balfour, daughter of Robert Balfour, Lord Balfour of Burleigh and Margaret Balfour, suo jure Lady Balfour of Burleigh, a title in the Peerage of Scotland. She died in ; they had no issue.
After her death, he married Magdalen Baillie, Lady Baillie, the widow of Sir Gideon Baillie, 1st Baronet of Lochend, who died in 1640. She was daughter of David Carnegie, styled Lord Carnegie and Lady Margaret Hamilton. After Lord Carnegie died in 1633, Magdalen's mother, Lady Margaret, married James Johnstone, 1st Earl of Hartfell, thereafter becoming the Countess of Hartfell. Her sister, Margaret Carnegie, married Gavin Dalzell, 2nd Earl of Carnwath. Together, they were the parents of:

Ann Crawfurd, who married Sir Archibald Stewart, 1st Baronet, of Blackhall, a son of John Stewart of Blackhall and Ardgowan, and Mary Stirling.
Margaret Crawfurd, who married Hon. Patrick Lindsay, son of John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford and Lady Margaret Hamilton.

Sir John died in 1661. On his death, as he had no male issue, the baronetcy became dormant. The representation of the family passed to Cornelius Craufurd of Jordanhill, as heir-male; while his estate, including Kilbirnie Castle, was settled on his youngest daughter, Margaret, according to his last will was dated 31 July 1662. His baronetcy remained dormant for over 100 hundred years, before being assumed in 1765 by a distant cousin, Sir Hew Crawfurd of Jordanhill.

Descendants

Through his daughter Margaret, he was a grandfather of John Crawford, Margaret Crawford and Magdalen Crawford.