David Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford
Encyclopedia
David Alexander Edward Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford and 10th Earl of Balcarres KT
, PC, DL
, FRS, FSA
(10 October 1871 – 8 March 1940), styled Lord Balniel between 1880 and 1913, was a British
Conservative
politician and art connoisseur.
, Aberdeenshire
, Crawford was the eldest son of James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres
and his wife Emily Florence, daughter of Colonel the Hon. Edward Bootle-Wilbraham. The Hon. Sir Ronald Lindsay
was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton
and Magdalen College, Oxford
.
His family had extensive mining interests on the Lancashire Coalfield
at Haigh
near Wigan
where his family had a seat at Haigh Hall
. He was chairman of the Wigan Coal and Iron Company
and its successor the Wigan Coal Corporation.
for Chorley
in 1895 and served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
from 1903 to 1905 under Arthur Balfour
. After the Conservatives went into opposition in 1905 he was Chief Conservative Whip in the House of Commons
between 1911 and 1913. The latter year he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords
(in virtue of his junior title of Baron Wigan, which was in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
). In July 1916 Crawford was admitted to the Privy Council and appointed President of the Board of Agriculture
, with a seat in the cabinet, in the coalition government of H. H. Asquith
.
When David Lloyd George
became Prime Minister in December 1916, Crawford became Lord Privy Seal
. In January 1919 Lloyd George appointed him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
, but removed him from the cabinet. He was made First Commissioner of Works
in April 1921, and in April of the following year he was also made Minister of Transport
, and restored to the cabinet. He retained these two posts until the coalition government fell in October 1922.
Apart from his political career Crawford was Chancellor of the University of Manchester
between 1922 and 1940, a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and a Deputy Lieutenant
of Lancashire
. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
in 1900 and of the Royal Society
in 1924 and was made a Knight of the Thistle
in 1921.
, in 1900. They had eight children, two sons and six daughters. One daughter, Lady Mary Lilian Lindsay (1910–2004), married Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne
, Lord Chancellor
of Great Britain from 1962 to 1964. Their youngest son the Hon. James Lindsay was Member of Parliament
for Devon North
. Their second daughter was Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller
, Director-General of MI5
from 2002 to 2007. Lord and Lady Crawford's fifth daughter Lady Katharine Constance Lindsay married Sir Godfrey Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and was the mother of Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
.
Lord Crawford died in March 1940, aged 68, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son David, Lord Balniel
. The Countess of Crawford died in January 1947.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, PC, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, FRS, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(10 October 1871 – 8 March 1940), styled Lord Balniel between 1880 and 1913, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and art connoisseur.
Background and education
Born at DunechtDunecht
Dunecht is a slightly linear village on the A944 road in north-east Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It is not to be confused with Echt.Dunecht is located 12 miles west of the city of Aberdeen and is situated by the confluence of the Kinnernie and Bervie burns.Formerly known as Waterton, it was renamed...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Crawford was the eldest son of James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres
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...
and his wife Emily Florence, daughter of Colonel the Hon. Edward Bootle-Wilbraham. The Hon. Sir Ronald Lindsay
Ronald Lindsay
Sir Ronald Charles Lindsay , PC, CVO, GCB, KCMG, was a British civil servant and diplomat.He was born in 1877, the fifth son of James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford, and educated at Winchester College....
was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
.
His family had extensive mining interests on the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
at Haigh
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...
near Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
where his family had a seat at Haigh Hall
Haigh Hall
Haigh Hall is a historic country house in Haigh, Greater Manchester, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. The hall, built between 1827 and 1840 by James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres, replaced an ancient manor house and was his family's home...
. He was chairman of the Wigan Coal and Iron Company
Wigan Coal and Iron Company
The Wigan Coal and Iron Company was formed when collieries on the Wigan Coalfield owned by John Lancaster were acquired by Lord Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, owner of the Haigh Colliery in 1865...
and its successor the Wigan Coal Corporation.
Political career
Crawford was elected Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Chorley
Chorley (UK Parliament constituency)
Chorley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in 1895 and served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 1903 to 1905 under Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
. After the Conservatives went into opposition in 1905 he was Chief Conservative Whip in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
between 1911 and 1913. The latter year he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
(in virtue of his junior title of Baron Wigan, which was in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
). In July 1916 Crawford was admitted to the Privy Council and appointed President of the Board of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
, with a seat in the cabinet, in the coalition government of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
.
When David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
became Prime Minister in December 1916, Crawford became Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
. In January 1919 Lloyd George appointed him Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
, but removed him from the cabinet. He was made First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
in April 1921, and in April of the following year he was also made Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
, and restored to the cabinet. He retained these two posts until the coalition government fell in October 1922.
Apart from his political career Crawford was Chancellor of the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
between 1922 and 1940, a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
in 1900 and of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1924 and was made a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
in 1921.
Family
Lord Crawford married Constance Lilian, daughter of Sir Henry Pelly, 3rd BaronetPelly Baronets
The Pelly Baronetcy, of Upton in the County of Essex, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 12 August 1840 for John Pelly, Governor of the Bank of England and of the Hudson's Bay Company. The title descended in the direct line until the early death of his grandson,...
, in 1900. They had eight children, two sons and six daughters. One daughter, Lady Mary Lilian Lindsay (1910–2004), married Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne
Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne
Reginald Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne PC, QC , known as Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller, Bt, from 1954 to 1962 and as The Lord Dilhorne from 1962 to 1964, was an English lawyer and Conservative politician...
, Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
of Great Britain from 1962 to 1964. Their youngest son the Hon. James Lindsay was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Devon North
North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
North Devon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election....
. Their second daughter was Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller
Eliza Manningham-Buller
Elizabeth Lydia "Eliza" Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, DCB was Director General of MI5, the British internal Security Service, from October 2002 until her retirement on 20 April 2007, aged 58....
, Director-General of MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
from 2002 to 2007. Lord and Lady Crawford's fifth daughter Lady Katharine Constance Lindsay married Sir Godfrey Nicholson, 1st Baronet, and was the mother of Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
Emma Harriet Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is a British politician. Formerly the Conservative then Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon she is a now life peer, and a former Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South East England.-Early...
.
Lord Crawford died in March 1940, aged 68, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son David, Lord Balniel
David Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford
David Alexander Robert Lindsay, 28th Earl of Crawford and 11th Earl of Balcarres, KT, GBE , known as Lord Balniel from 1913 to 1940, was a British Unionist politician....
. The Countess of Crawford died in January 1947.
Further reading
- Lindsay, David (1984) The Crawford Papers: the journals of David Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford and 10th Earl of Balcarres, 1871-1940, during the years 1892 to 1940; edited by John VincentJohn Vincent (historian)John Russell Vincent is a British historian and a former Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge. He was Professor of Modern History, and later History, at the University of Bristol from 1970 until his retirement when he became Visiting Professor at the University of East Anglia...
. Manchester: Manchester University Press