The Crawfords of Scotland are derived from a Danish chief named Thorlongus (Latin for Thor) whose father, Leofwine of Mercia, and grandfather, Edulf of East Anglia, had married into the Anglo-Saxon monarchy of England in the late 900’s and early 1000’s.The Crawfords are descendants of Alfred the Great, King of England, Thor and his predecessors were beneficiaries to land grants in the English jurisdiction of Mercia which was known as the Merse in Scotland.

John, the 3rd son of Sir Reginald de Crawford the first Sheriff of Ayr is the ancestor of the Clan branch at Craufurdland in Ayrshire. Married to Alicia de Dallsalloch. Through this marriage large tracks of lands in Clydesdale were possessed by the family, much of which though passed to the Cumins on marriage of his daughter. The lands of Ardoch were given to John Craufurd, the second son of John and Alicia, in contentation of his rights to the whole as heir.

William of Craufurdland was knighted by King James I after his part in the siege of Creyult in 1423, for King Charles VII of France. Sir William was sorely wounded and taken prisoner, to be released a year later with King James I. He was succeeded by his eldest son Rankine Craufurd of Craufurdland married and had three sons: William, Robert and Andrew William Craufurd of Craufurdland, lived during the reign of King James II. He married Janet Hamilton, daughter of the Laird of Bardowie, by whom he had three sons of whom Archibald was his successor.

John Craufurd of Craufurdland married twice in his lifetime, first to Helen Chalmers of Gadgirth, by whom he had a son, John, his heir, and three daughters: Janet, Agnes and Helen. Secondly, he married Christian Wallace of Auchans, and widow of Mr James Ross of Whiteriggs and thereafter Lady Dreghorn. Together they had a son Robert, and a daughter Catherine. Robert got from his father the lands of Monkland, but his son, John, died without issue shortly after his father, and the lands returned to the family of Craufurdland. He died in 1612 aged 42.