Thomas Crawford of Jordanhill
Captain Thomas Crawford or Thomas Craufurd (1530–1603) of Jordanhill (an estate in the West End of Glasgow, part of which is now a college and hospital near Victoria Park) was a trusted confidant of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and a retainer of the Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (Darnley's father).
[2] Thomas Crawford acquired the land and title of Jordanhill from Bartholemew Montgomerie (the chaplain of Drumry) following his return to Scotland from France with Mary, Queen of Scots in either 1560[3] or 1562.
William Maitland of Lethington (and Sir James Balfour) were publicly accused of Darnley's murder by Crawford; Balfour escaped, but Lethington was imprisoned and was released by William Kirkcaldy of Grange, commander in Edinburgh Castle, which subsequently became the fortress of Mary's cause during the Lang Siege in the ensuing civil war.
[7] In this task he was assisted by John Cunningham of Drumquhassle, Matthew Douglas of Mains (both also retainers of the Earl of Lennox) and a traitor from the castle garrison called Robertson.
He had sent a small advance group of horsemen ahead of him to stop all wayfarers (who might betray the mission), and he made his way to an agreed meeting place within a mile of the castle, (Dumbuck) where he was joined by Drumquhassle and Captain Hume.
On the first attempt, the ladders slipped while the soldiers were on them; if the watch of the garrison had been more aware of the danger, the noise could have given warning of the attack and the castle might have been successfully defended.
Crawford's solution to this problem was to tie the unfortunate soldier to the ladder and turn it round (with the man suspended beneath it), so the passage was clear again.
The eastern peak of the rock (The Beak) was quickly gained, and the cannon there was captured and turned on the garrison, who attempted very little resistance, preferring to escape rather than fight back.
John Hamilton, Archbishop of St Andrews was also found in the castle wearing items of armour (a mail shirt and helmet).
As important as the arrest of key people was the capture of documents, including some implicating Queen Mary with Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk and the Ridolfi plot.
[10] An Act of Parliament was passed on 28 August 1571 in favour of "Johnne Cuningham of Drumquhassel, Matho Dowglas of Manys, Captain Thomas Crawford of Jordanhill, and others takeris of the Castell of Dumbartane," discharging them of any criminal or civil liabilities incurred in the recapture of the castle.
[16] He was also the first person to provide a bursary out of his own wealth at Glasgow University, (16 bolls of oatmeal from the mill at Partick) - an amount large enough to completely support one student.
