Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford
Encyclopedia
Alexander William Crawford Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford, 8th Earl of Balcarres (16 October 1812 – 13 December 1880), was a Scottish peer, art historian and collector. He was also known as Lord Lindsay.
He was born at Muncaster Castle, Cumbria, the son of James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford. On July 23, 1846 he married Margaret Lindsay, daughter of Lt Gen James Lindsay and brother of Robert James Loyd-Lindsay VC KCB, 1st and last Baron Wantage of Lockinge. They had 7 children, including his heir, James Ludovic.
He travelled widely studying art. He published "Progression by Antagonism" in 1846 and "Sketches of the History of Christian Art" in 1847. He became an avid art collector and many of his acquisitions are on display in galleries around the world.
His other passion was genealogy. He was the author of the three volume Lives of the Lindsays on the genealogy of his family.
He travelled to the Middle East in 1837/38, writing Letters on Egypt, Edom and the Holy Land.
He inherited the earldom of Crawford and the earldom of Balcarres from his father James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
, 7th Earl of Balcarres and was succeeded by his son James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
.
He died in 1880 in Florence, Italy and his coffin was brought home for burial in a new family crypt in Dun Echt, near Aberdeen. Some time afterwards the body was stolen and eventually recovered from a shallow grave. A local poacher was convicted of grave-robbing.
The bulk of the library was kept at Haigh Hall
in Lancashire with a part at Balcarres. The 26th Earl issued an extensive catalogue of the library in 1910: Catalogue of the Printed Books Preserved at Haigh Hall, Wigan, 4 vols. folio, Aberdeen University Press, printers. Companion volumes to the catalogue record the royal proclamations and philatelic literature. The cataloguing and organization of the library was a major task for a team of librarians led by J. P. Edmond. The manuscript collections (including Chinese and Japanese printed books) were sold in 1901 to Enriqueta Augustina Rylands
for the John Rylands Library
.
He was born at Muncaster Castle, Cumbria, the son of James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford and 7th Earl of Balcarres was an Earl in the Scottish peerage.James Lindsay was born on 24 April 1783 at Balcarres, Fife to Alexander Lindsay, 23rd Earl of Crawford and inherited the title of 7th Earl of Balcarres on his father's death in 1825...
. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford. On July 23, 1846 he married Margaret Lindsay, daughter of Lt Gen James Lindsay and brother of Robert James Loyd-Lindsay VC KCB, 1st and last Baron Wantage of Lockinge. They had 7 children, including his heir, James Ludovic.
He travelled widely studying art. He published "Progression by Antagonism" in 1846 and "Sketches of the History of Christian Art" in 1847. He became an avid art collector and many of his acquisitions are on display in galleries around the world.
His other passion was genealogy. He was the author of the three volume Lives of the Lindsays on the genealogy of his family.
He travelled to the Middle East in 1837/38, writing Letters on Egypt, Edom and the Holy Land.
He inherited the earldom of Crawford and the earldom of Balcarres from his father James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford and 7th Earl of Balcarres was an Earl in the Scottish peerage.James Lindsay was born on 24 April 1783 at Balcarres, Fife to Alexander Lindsay, 23rd Earl of Crawford and inherited the title of 7th Earl of Balcarres on his father's death in 1825...
, 7th Earl of Balcarres and was succeeded by his son James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford
James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres was a British astronomer, politician, bibliophile and philatelist. A member of the Royal Society, Crawford was elected president of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1878. He was a prominent Freemason.-Family:The Earl was the...
.
He died in 1880 in Florence, Italy and his coffin was brought home for burial in a new family crypt in Dun Echt, near Aberdeen. Some time afterwards the body was stolen and eventually recovered from a shallow grave. A local poacher was convicted of grave-robbing.
Bibliotheca Lindesiana
The Bibliotheca Lindesiana, was planned by Lord Lindsay and both he and his eldest son were instrumental in building it up to such an extent that was one the most impressive private collections in Britain at the time, both for its size and for the rarity of some of the materials it contained.The bulk of the library was kept at Haigh Hall
Haigh, Greater Manchester
Haigh is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is located next to the village of Aspull. The western boundary is the River Douglas which separates the township from Wigan. To the north a small brook...
in Lancashire with a part at Balcarres. The 26th Earl issued an extensive catalogue of the library in 1910: Catalogue of the Printed Books Preserved at Haigh Hall, Wigan, 4 vols. folio, Aberdeen University Press, printers. Companion volumes to the catalogue record the royal proclamations and philatelic literature. The cataloguing and organization of the library was a major task for a team of librarians led by J. P. Edmond. The manuscript collections (including Chinese and Japanese printed books) were sold in 1901 to Enriqueta Augustina Rylands
Enriqueta Augustina Rylands
Enriqueta Augustina Rylands was the founder of the John Rylands Library, Manchester.Born in Havana, Cuba, she was one of five children including José Esteban , Blanca Catalina and Leocadia Fernanda...
for the John Rylands Library
John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library is a Victorian Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Mrs Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her late husband, John Rylands...
.
Further reading
- Barker, Nicolas (1978) Bibliotheca Lindesiana: the Lives and Collections of Alexander William, 25th Earl of Crawford and 8th Earl of Balcarres, and James Ludovic, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres. London: for Presentation to the Roxburghe Club, and published by Bernard Quaritch