Publications of the Clan Lindsay Society - Electric Scotland

THE LAIRDS OF DOWHILL. 251
John Lindsay Sixth Laird of Dowhill, is
named in the entail of the earldom of Crawford that
is incorporated in a rojal charter of the date 16th
October 1541,* at which date Adam Lindsay, the
father of this John, way still alive. t The occasion
for a new settlement had arisen through the " Wicked
Master" of Crawford having- by his crimes forfeited for
himself and his posterity all right to succeed. Failing
David Lindsay of Edzell and others named in the
entail and their male issue, the earldom was to pass to
John Lindsay, son and apparent heir of Adam Lindsay
of Dowhill, and the heirs male of his bcjdy lawfully
procreated. Adam Lindsay, the father, and two other
sons of his, Lawrence and Thomas, were by implication
excluded, and thereby the question is raised whether
the interest of John in the estates of the earldom did
not derive through his mother. It is not known at
present who was his mother, or whether his father was
married more than once. The question, however, is at
once discounted by the fact that the earldom was a
male fief; and, whatever was the reason for naming
the son rather than the father, had the succession
opened up to the Lindsays of Dowhill, it seems that
the interests of any one of them would not in practice
have been affected by this particular selection, and its
adoption may have been due to some trivial reason and
not to one based on any definite principle of succession.
Of this laird, who was infeft on 6th April 1548, f
very little is known, but he is associated by tradition
Rtg. Mag. Sig., XXVIIT. G4 (Vol. II., No. 2484).
t Ibid., XXVIII. 413 (Vol. II., No. 2488).
I Dowhill Charters.