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IN former times the estate of
Jordanhill was held by a family named Crawford, one member of which
achieved a name in his country’s history by an exploit remarkable alike
for coolness and bravery. This individual was Captain John Crawford of
Jordanhill, w ho, in 1571,
with a small band of followers, succeeded in taking, by an ingenious
stratagem, the castle of Dumbarton. After the battle of Langside and Queen
Mary’s flight to England, this strong fortress, then deemed all but
impregnable, was held in the interest of the royal exile and captive, by
the Governor, Lord Fleming, who steadily refused to surrender it to the
party then in power.
Crawford, who had been in the
service of the unfortunate Darnley, was a bitter enemy to the Queen, and
formed the resolution of wresting this fortress out of the hands of her
friends. Accordingly, on the occasion alluded to, with a select party of
his retainers he marched towards the castle after nightfall, provided with
ropes and sealing ladders, and having in his company a man named
Robertson, who was familiar with every step upon the rock. Arriving at the
castle about midnight, and being completely screened from observation by a
dense fog, they commenced operations. When they looked up at the dark
precipice and compared their frail means with the end proposed, the
soldiers could hardly regard it but as an act of madness.
"NOW, my men," whispered Crawford,
who observed them eyeing dubiously the height of the ramparts, "know ye
not that the Lord Fleming and the archbishop have invited us to supper?
Let us taste their cheer; and they who dislike the Governor’s soup shall
have the bishop’s absolution."
"Pity," said one, "that the way to
mess is not a little smoother; but never mind, guests who arrive by the
steepest way are sure to contract the keenest appetites in the ascent."
"This I ascend in the King’s name," said Crawford,
placing at the same instant his foot upon the ladder, and followed by the
others, who had pledged their lives in the cause. "Now,’ he added, "not a
syllable till we stand on the
summit."
The first ladder broke, but was
replaced by another, and they mounted in profound silence, drawing the
ladder after them, and re-fixing it at every spot of the rock where they
could gain a footing. About midway
up it
was fastened to the roots of a tree, and at this place there was a small,
flat surface, sufficient to aflord footing to the whole party. But here an
incident occurred which nearly proved fatal. One of the party, when
half-way up, was seized with a convulsive fit. The situation was critical,
but Crawford was equal to the emergency. He caused the man to be tied to
the ladder, turned it, and those who had still to ascend mounted with
case. Alexander Ramsay, an ensign, and two others, soon reached the
summit, and slew a sentinel, who was about to give the alarm. Crawford and
the rest soon followed, and they rushed upon the sleeping garrison,
shouting :
"A Darnley ! A Darnley!"
The surprise and triumph were
instant and complete, as the garrison had trusted too much to the security
of their castle to keep good watch. The exploit of Crawford may compare
with anything of the kind in history; perhaps its nearest parallel may be
found in the capture of Edinburgh Castle by Randolph, the nephew of King
Robert Bruce.
The Governor managed to make his
escape, but Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, was made prisoner, tried
for participation in the murder of Darnley, convicted, and executed at
Stirling! Benefit of clergy had gone cornpletely out of fashion, and the
prelate was too obnoxious to the
dominant party, both in his own person, and on
account of the family whose name he bore, to escape the vengeance of his
and their foes. The following wicked Latin couplet is said to have been
written on the oocasion:-
"Vive din, felix arbor,
sempergue vireto
Frondibus, ut nobis talia poma feras."
On the 1st October, 1577, Captain Thomas Crawford of
Jordanhill, the hero of the above exploit, was appointed Lord Provost of
Glasgow, in succession to Lord Boyd, and next year he was succeeded in
that office by the Earl of Lennox. It was while Captain Crawford held this
office that Glasgow Cathedral was threatened with destruction, and
according to one story, it was this brave and wily chief magistrate who
adroitly saved the venerable fabric, he is reported to have said to those
who were eager for its demolition, and pressing him to give his assent
thereto :—
"I am for
pu’ing doon the auld kirk, but no till we ha’e first built a new ane."
The monumental tomb of the gallant
warrior stands in the shadow of the curious old kirk of Kilbirnie. It is a
little quadrangular edifice of sandstone, nine feet long by six feet in
height In the east end there is a narrow aperture, through which, in the
interior, are seen recumbent figures of the old soldier and his spouse, in
an excellent state of preservation. On the northern wall is the following
inscription, which can only be deciphered now by the keen eye of the
antiquary
"GOD SCHAW
THE RICHT.
Here lyis Thomas Crawford of
Jordanhill, sext son to Lawrence Crawford of Kilbirnie, and Jonet Kerr his
Spous, eldest dochter to Robert Ker of Kerrisland—--1594." in the central
compartment is a shield with the arms of the Crawford and Ker families
quartered, and an indistinct figure for the crest, which is supposed to
represent the rock of Dumbarton. The gallant captain, by whom the
structure was erected at the above date, died on the 3rd of January, 1603,
about thirty-two years after his valorous midnight achievement. |
