General Notes

http://www.lordbothwell.co.uk/crichton.html   -   John de Crichton’s son, William, gained power and wealth in various positions entrusted to him by James I. James I died in 1437, and was succeeded by his son, James II, who was only six. At this time of William de Crichton was sheriff of Edinburgh, keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and master of the king’s household. In 1439 he became chancellor.

For the first two years of James II’s reign, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas and head of the ‘Black Douglas’ family, was Regent. When he died, William Crichton and Sir Alexander Livingston fought to overthrow the power of the Black Douglas family. In 1440 they invited William Douglas - the 16 year old sixth Earl - and his brother to dinner in Edinburgh Castle, even entertaining them at Crichton on the way. At the end of the meal, a black bull’s head, symbolising impending death, was placed on the table. The boys were given a mock trial before being beheaded, the incident becoming known as the ‘Black Dinner’.

In the civil war which followed, James II came of age and stripped William de Crichton of the chancellorship, declaring him outlaw. The following year, as he was holed up in Edinburgh Castle, Sir John Forrester of Corstorphine, an aide of the new earl of Douglas, besieged, stormed and partially demolished Crichton Castle.

William Crichton was not long out of favour. He was created Lord Crichton in 1447, and regained his chancellorship the following year. In 1450 he was able to lend James II £500, five times the amount contributed by the Earl of Douglas. He also invested his wealth in Crichton Castle, adding a gatehouse to the north of the tower house in 1440, and going on to transform Crichton into an impressive courtyard castle. The centrepiece was a three storied rectangular range on the south side of the courtyard, which Chancellor Crichton used as his lodging. The west range housed service and ancillary residential accomodation.

In 1449, William founded a collegeate church about 500 yards from the residence, so that priests could pray for the salvation of himself and his family.

When James II murdered William, the eighth Earl of Douglas, at dinner in Stirling Castle in 1452, William Crichton was, coincidentally (?), present.

In 1452 William died, and his spirit supposedly haunts the stables, even though in 1449 he founded a collegiate church about 500 yards from the castle, so that priests could pray for the salvation of himself and his family. His son and heir, James Crichton, died soon after him.