The pictures below show the village of Crichton and of Crichton Collegiate Church. The village is circa two miles from Pathead in Scotland and adjacent to Crichton Castle.
These pictures were provided by Don & Mike Crichton and my thanks go out to them. Don, who took the pictures, has knowledge of the Crichton family history and is a member of the Creighton Worldwide Mailing List.
Eric Craton writes �Tracing its ancient development, the name Creighton was found in Midlothian where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated in the territories of Kreiton in that shire. The first on record was Turstan Crectune, who was granted lands by King David of Scotland in 1128. Alexander and Thomas Creighton both having territories in Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland. in 1296. The Chief of the Clan Crichton was elected to the Peerage and became the Earl of Erne and Lord Crichton in addition to the title of Viscount Frendraught. A junior branch became the Earls of Dumfries and the Marquises of Bute. They were a distinguished Border clan and played an important role in the defense of the Scottish border. Notable amongst the family at this time was Lord Crichton, Viscount Frendraught.�
Please visit his website at http://www.automatedlogic.com/craton.nsf
The variations of the spelling and pronunciation can, in part, be attributed to the influx of foreign invaders to the British Isles and the ability of scribes to document correctly the appropriate spelling in a consistent manner. In many documents the name is spelt with a �K� instead of a �C� which is conducive with European styles. The variations of the spelling are too numerous to mention but most of them maintain two fundamental pronunciations, Kreatton & Kritton (Creaton & Criton). It is my belief that Creighton (Kreitton) is the more local, or correct pronunciation (one can almost hear the Scottish accent kick in) and Crichton perhaps is an English or Saxon version. As many names were spelt phonetically at this time there are to be found many variations of pronunciation and spelling,
which drives me to believe that they are all originally interlinked. The base line for most spelling variations seems to be this fundamental pronunciation and therefore an assumption of dialect could well be partially attributed to the spelling differentials.
Little is actually known of the Creighton/Crichton origins prior to Thurstan de Crechtune of the Kreitton Barony circa 1128. However everyone seems to be in agreement that the Creighton clans are somewhat interlinked and that they originate from the same Scottish lowland area. Research that Jim H. Creighton has undertaken indicates that the documented name Craton does go back to as early as 283 AD.
One thing is for sure that we are not a large clan and yet we have left our mark throughout the world naming towns and villages, lakes and island streets and buildings as a legacy to our clan order.
http://www.clan-crichton.com/history.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/families/crichtons.htm
http://www.impressions.uk.com/clans/clan_27.shtml
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/chrichton2.html
Alse R. Creighton of Norway writes about his fathers aunt, Ann Wallace Creighton, who lives in the UK being a relation of William Wallace and Katherine Joan Creighton writes "So far that is the farthest i have traced our tree back, though i know that i am a direct decendant of William Critchton who was banished from Scotland, and an indirect decandent of William Wallace through marriage".
The Wallace clan also come form the same lowland area and therefore as a border clan it is well likely that interrelations happened.
(from "Historic Roots" www.camelotintl.com)
Trevor Crichton, a descendant of William Crichton of Sanquhar, writes:
"Thomas de Crichton had 3 sons each of whom extended the family holdings, William his 2nd son married Isabel de Ross heiress to the barony of Sanquhar in Dumfriesshire. It is this William Crichton who started the Crichton clan in that area. A descendent of Sir Robert Chrichton of Sanquhar, was sheriff of Dumfries in 1464 and coroner of Nithsdale from 1468 to 1469. His eldest son Robert, was created a peer with the title Lord Crichton of Sanquhar by James III in 1487. The title does not appear to have brought the family great happiness. William, third Lord of Sanquhar, was killed in the house of the Regent Arran around 1552 by Lord Semple. The sixth Lord Sanquhar died in disgrace, being accused of complicity in the murder of a fencing master who, years before, had accidentally blinded Crichton in one eye. The title passed through a younger line, and thereafter to the family of Crichton-Stuart, the present Marquesses of Bute."
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/sanquhar/castle
"According to local lore the ghost of Abraham Crichton, who died in 1745, haunts the Sanquhar churchyard despite an exorcism by a minister. Chrichton was a wealthy landowner, and laird of Carco, who displeased many locals by declaring bankruptcy despite tales of his hidden wealth. Before he died he gained a curse on his name by trying to have the local, unused, church of Kirkbride pulled down. A fierce storm prevented this from happening, and he left that evening to return the next day with his men. On his journey home a bolt of lightening spooked his horse and it bolted. Chrichton fell off but caught his foot in the stirrup. Unable to free himself, he was dragged to a painful bloody death as his horse galloped all the way to Dalpeddar. His body was buried in Sanquhar churchyard but lied uneasily. Locals were often frightened ghostly visions of Chrichton as they travelled through the cemetery, and the place was shunned - especially after sun down. A minister named Hunter performed a long exorcism, holding a nightly vigil in the churchyard armed with a bible and a sword. The exorcism was a success but just to be sure, Chrichton's tombstone was secured by heavy chains and weights. These sort of tales, of evil characters returning from the grave have a similarity with vampire stories, and may be part of the root of the legend. The folklore seems to suggest that there was belief that the persons actual corpse returned to haunt the places, hence the need for mortuary weights. In reality the mortuary weights that are sometimes seen at ancient Scottish churchyards served a much more mundane if not less macabre purpose: to stop freshly interred bodies from being stolen by grave robbers for selling to medical science. Often this sort of grim folklore is reserved for unpopular powerful people."
"Another James Crichton was raised to the peerage of Scotland as Viscount Frendraught in 1642.
The present chiefly line descends form him and the family now make their home at the Castle of Monziie near Crieff."
Situated on 85 acres of parkland known as "The Crichton Site" which was founded by Mrs Crichton in 1833 and now run by the Crichton Developement Company, is Crichton Memeorial Church and a museum.
http://www.crichton.co.uk/
Ingrid Creyghton is currently doing some English translation work to be added to the site showing the life of Johannes Creyghton born in Pussia in 1660 and apparantly father to the line of Dutch Creyghtons. Pls. Visit this interesting site at http://www.xs4all.nl/~joscmg/Creyghton/Creyghton.htm .
Here also is a link to the Tilset english website http://www.tilsit.com/main.html
