Clan Crawford

Clan Crawford is a lowland Scottish Clan originating in Renfrewshire, Scotland.  The surname Crawford is derived from the barony of Crawford located in South Lanarkshire.  A man named Thorlongus was granted the lands of Crawford by Prince David in 1113. It is believed that much of the family settled in the Kelso area in the 12th century.  The first to take the surname was Galfridus de Crauford who appeared in a donation document at that time.

The motto of the clan is Tutum Te Robore Reddam which translates from Latin into ” I will give you safety through strength”. and the clan’s crest features a stags head with a cross between the antlers.

The historic seat of the clan is Auchinames Castle located in the parish of Kilbarchan and the county of Renfrewshire.  The Crawfords received the grant for their Renfrewshire lands from Robert the Bruce in 1320. The first mention to the castle was in a charter published in 1401 which listed Thomas Crauford of Auchimanes as the owner.  According to a description, written in the 19th century, Auchinames Castle had a very high tower of six or seven stories.  The tower itself was demolished in 1782 but the remains existed until 1825, when they were moved to make way for a new construction.  The present farm of Auchinames is said to be sitting on the location of the old castle.

In 1904 the chief of the clan, Ronald George Craufurd, sold his land holdings in Auchenames, along with his other holdings in Scotland and

moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  George died in Calgary in 1942 leaving no male heirs.  The clan is now considered to be an armigerous clan as it no longer has a chief.

The Clan Crawford Association was formed in 2006 with a goal to bring Crawfords together as a house or clan. The association also works toward promoting Crawford history and genealogy.  In 2012 the association was granted their own coat of arms by the Lord Lyon, these new arms combine the designs of the two main branches of the clan.