[1] Crichton, youngest son of a small landed proprietor, was born in the parish of Kirkmahoe, Dumfriesshire, December 1790, and educated at Dumfries Academy and at the university of Edinburgh.
[1] After becoming a licensed preacher he was for some time engaged in teaching in Edinburgh and North Berwick.
He commenced his connection with the newspaper press in 1828 by editing (at first in conjunction with De Quincey) the Edinburgh Evening Post.
In 1830 he conducted the North Briton, and in 1832 he undertook the editorship of the Edinburgh Advertiser, in which employment he continued till June 1851.
He was a member of the presbytery of Edinburgh, being ruling elder of the congregation of Trinity College Church, and sat in the general assembly of the Church of Scotland as elder for the burgh of Cullen for three years previous to his decease.