End Notes
At the beginning of the text I referred to encountering difficulties and perplexities in working with the material given to me by the Court of the Lord Lyon. I was more than pleased with what the Clerk to the Court supplied, it was in reconciling this accurate information with what was actually on show inside the church that gave trouble, for it is obvious that the interpretation of the carvers and painters involved was sometimes idiosyncratic. The history was sometimes missing, but given the fact that more than five centuries have passed, it is understandable that much error has been handed down, as people tend to fill gaps with imperfect or plausible recollections.
This does not seem much to offer, but nearly six months have passed since my work was started.
As well as the Court of the Lord Lyon, the Internet has been of great help, as well as a collection of Heraldic and History books.
The first End Note refers to Page Three.
Captain Thomas Crawfurd of Jordanhill was the sixth son of Laurence Crawfurd of Kilbirnie, and as a rather junior member of the family could expect little in the way of an inheritance, for the main assets of the estate were entailed to the eldest son. He was connected to Henry Darnley, the husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and served him well, managing at the same time to keep his hands clean, in such affairs as the murder of Rizzio. He was a brave man and obviously a popular leader as the capture of Dumbarton Castle demonstrated.
Dobie points out that his merits were not merely military, as Provost of Glasgow he set up four bursaries in Glasgow University for students of languages.
His first wife was Marion Colquhoun of Luss, daughter of Sir John, and widow of Robert, Master of Boyd. Thomas and Marion had one daughter, also Marion who married Sir Robert Fairly of that Ilk.
By Janet Ker, his second wife, he had two sons and a daughter.
Daniel, the eldest, succeeded to his mother’s estate, and the superiority of Jordanhill. He assumed the name and Arms of Ker of Kersland. The second son, Hugh, continued the family of Jordanhill, and Susanna the daughter married Colin Campbell of Elengreg in Argyllshire.
While it is not very relevant in the context of these memorials, it is still interesting to examine the tradition that Thomas had established as a military man.
Three grandsons became distinguished soldiers. Laurence fought under Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden at the battle of Lutzen and later became Lieutenant General to the Earl of Manchester, Commander-in-chief of the Parliamentary Army. He was present at the Battle of Marston Moor, and was killed by a musket ball at the siege of Hereford. He was buried with much ceremony at Gloucester Cathedral.
Two other brothers held high commands in Russia.
Another useful service Thomas performed was the erection of a bridge over the River Kelvin. The Lyon Clerk included in her letter a photo-copy of an engraving of his Coat-of-Arms carved on the arch, but apparently the stone is now lost. Fortunately the artist included the details of the weathering, which goes to prove its actual existence at some time.
A new bridge on the same site is on a main route west from the city on a road now called Gibson Street.
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