The House of Cartsburn

The barony of Cartsburn in the Baronage of Scotland was created for Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn in 1669, when the lands of Cartsburn in the Parish of Easter Greenock in the Shire of Renfrew were erected in liberam baroniam, as a free barony held of the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The estate of Cartsburn, also known as Crawfurdsburn, incorporated the lands of Cartsdyke and part of the lands of Easter Greenock Castle. The Barony of Cartsburn is a feudal Barony of Scotland. The seat of the Barony was the House of Cartsburn, built in the 17th century near Greenock, Renfrewshire.

The most notable Barons of Cartsburn are Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn, 4th Baron of Cartsburn, Thomas Macknight Crawfurd of Cartsburn and Lauriston Castle, 8th Baron of Cartsburn, and Mark Lindley-Highfield of Ballumbie Castle, 14th Baron of Cartsburn. The current Baron is the 15th Baron of Cartsburn. Other people associated with the Barony include George Crawfurd, the compiler of The Peerage of Scotland, the inventor James Watt, the nation's bard Robert Burns, and the poet Jean Adam.

In 2010 the dignity 'Baron of Cartsburn' was transferred by assignation[1] to Dr. Pier Felice degli Uberti..

History

The Barony of Cartsburn[2] in the Baronage of Scotland was created for Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn in 1669, when the lands of Cartsburn in the Parish of Easter Greenock in the Shire of Renfrew were erected in liberam baronium, as a free Barony held of the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.[3][4] The estate of Cartsburn, also known as Crawfurdsburn, incorporated the lands of Cartsdyke and part of the lands of Easter Greenock Castle. The Barony of Cartsburn is a feudal Barony of Scotland. The seat of the Barony was the House of Cartsburn, built in the 17th century near Greenock, Renfrewshire.

Excerpts from the Baron Court Book of Cartsburn have been published, rendering it one of the few Baronies with comprehensive evidence for research into the social history of the area.[3] George Crawfurd, the compiler of the notable and esteemed work The Peerage of Scotland, belonged to the family of Crawfurd of Cartsburn and was the brother of the second Baron.[5] It is suspected that it was through George Crawfurd's genealogical writings that the manuscript of Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel's memoirs came into the possession of the Crawfurds of Cartsburn, which William Macknight Crawfurd of Ratho, the seventh Baron, then donated for publication.[6]

Other people associated with the Barony include the inventor James Watt, the nation's bard Robert Burns, and the poet Jean Adam. The famous inventor, James Watt grew up within the Barony. His father and namesake, James Watt, was contracted to enlarge the mansion house of Sir John Shaw, 2nd Baronet at Greenock, and his grandfather, Thomas Watt, was Bailie of the Barony of Cartsburn.[3] Robert Burns was invited to stay at the estate at the invitation of the 4th Baron, Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn. He later mentioned the Baron in his work.[7] Jean Adam's published poems of 1734 were dedicated to the Baron of Cartsburn.[8]

Notable Barons

Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn, 4th Baron of Cartsburn, invited Robert Burns to stay at his country estate at Cartsburn.[9][10] Burns himself writes of Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn's "ingenious, friendly, and elegant epistle".[7] In his Preface to the Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, Chief of the Clan Cameron, James Macknight describes Thomas as "a person of superior literary attainments", who "collected a considerable library".[6]

Thomas Macknight Crawfurd of Cartsburn and Lauriston Castle, 8th Baron of Cartsburn was credited with a number of ameliorations to the grounds of Lauriston Castle, a property which he acquired in 1871.[11] He made general improvements to Lauriston, including the bringing of a number of architectural features from his estate at Cartsburn.[12]

Mark Lindley-Highfield of Ballumbie Castle, the 14th Baron of Cartsburn, when a student and editor of Gaudie, the newspaper of the University of Aberdeen, resigned in protest at editorial interference from the University's Students' Association. His campaign for editorial independence received the support of Orkney & Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael, Moray MP Angus Robertson, Cheltenham MP Mike Jones, Angus MP Mike Weir, and then MP for Banff and Buchan and later First Minister Alex Salmond, who signed to support an Early Day Motion in Parliament criticising the Students' Association's "ill-advised move".[13][14] Lindley-Highfield received the title in 2008 before assigning it on in 2010.[15]

Barons of Cartsburn (1669–Present)

The following is a list of the Barons of Cartsburn, from 1669 to the present:[3][16][17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Assignations - Barony of Cartsburn". Archived from the original on 27 February 2014.
  2. ^ http://www.cartsburn.com The purpose of this website is only to inform about the historical events, traditions and the cultural message of the ancient Barony of Cartsburn, so it cannot be lost, bringing further benefit to its territory.
  3. ^ a b c d Williamson, G. (1894). Old Cartsburn: being a History of the Estate from the Year 1669, downwards, with nothices of the families of Kilbirnie, Jordanhill and Cartsburn and Excerpts from the Baron Court Book of Cartsburn. Paisley: Alexander Gardner.
  4. ^ Weir, D. (1829). History of the town of Greenock. London: Whittaker & Co. p. 6. crawfurd of cartsburn.
  5. ^ Crawfurd, G. (1716). The Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: author: sold. crawford of cartsburn.
  6. ^ a b Macknight, J.; Drummond, J. (1842). Macknight, J. (ed.). Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheill, chief of the Clan Cameron: with an introductory account of the history and antiquities of that family and of the neighbouring clans. Edinburgh: Maitland Club.
  7. ^ a b Motherwell, W.; Hogg, J. (1835). The works of Robert Burns. Vol. iv. Glasgow: Archibald Fullerton & Co.
  8. ^ Weir, D. (1829). History of the town of Greenock. London: Whittaker & Co. p. 83. dedicated to the laird of cartsburn.
  9. ^ "Thomas Crawford of Cartsburn". Robert Burns Country: The Burns Encyclopedia. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  10. ^ Burns, R. (1811). Walker, J. (ed.). Poems by Robert Burns: with an account of his life. Vol. 2. Edinburgh.
  11. ^ "Historic Scotland website". Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Historic Scotland website". Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  13. ^ UK Parliament (19 May 2003). "EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE OF GAUDIE - ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER - EDM (Early Day Motion) 1242".
  14. ^ Curtis, Polly (16 May 2003). "MPs debate future of Scotland's oldest student newspaper, Guardian". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  15. ^ "Barons of Cartsburn (1669-Present)". Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  16. ^ Robertson, G. (1823). A genealogical account of the principal families of Ayrshire. Irvine: Cunninghame Press. p. 242. crawfurd of cartsburn.
  17. ^ Dewar, P.B. (2001). Burke's landed gentry of Great Britain: together with members of the titled and non-titled contemporary establishment. Buckingham: Burke's Peerage & Gentry. ISBN 9780971196605.
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