Ayrshire > Volume 2

THE MARQUISATE OF BUTE 215
had a charter of the lands and barony of Cumnock,
December 6, 1643 ; and one of his daughters married
William Crichton, Sheriff-Depute of Ayr. Elizabeth,
the eldest daughter of the fifth Lord Crichton, was
" trysted " to be married to Alan, Lord Cathcart, on his
attaining the age of fourteen, but he refused the marriage,
and a penalty had to be paid in default, of /iooo Scots.
The sixth Lord Crichton, who died 1561, married
Margaret Cuninghame, daughter of John, and sister of
William Cuninghame of Caprington, widow of Gilbert
Kennedy, younger of Blairquhan. The ninth Lord
Crichton is styled of Darnhunch or Darnhaunch, a place
in Ayrshire. He was raised to the rank of Viscount,
February 2, 1622, being created Viscount of Air ; and
shortly after, 1633, he was created Earl of Dumfries,
Viscount of Air, Lord Crichton of Sanquhar and
Cumnock. Charles, Lord Crichton, son of the second
Earl, married (contract dated 1679) Sarah, third daughter
of James Dalrymple, first Viscount of Stair, and his
sister Elizabeth married, 1658, as his first wife, Alexander,
Earl of Eglinton. When William, third Earl, died, 1694,
unmarried, his sister, Penelope, succeeded to his honours,
became Countess of Dumfries, and married, 1698, her
cousin, William Dalrymple of Glenmuir, second son of
John, first Earl of Stair. Their oldest son, William
Crichton Dalrymple, became fourth Earl of Dumfries - ,
and succeeded his younger brother James as fourth Earl
of Stair, being styled Earl of Dumfries and Stair. He
died at Dumfries House, 1768, and was succeeded by
his nephew, Patrick Macdowall Crichton, who was the
eldest son of the fourth Earl's sister, the wife of John
Macdowall of Freuch. Married to a daughter of Ronald
Crauford of Restalrig, he was the father of Elizabeth
Penelope Crichton, who became Viscountess Mount-
stuart. Lady Mountstuart died 1797, and was buried
at Cumnock. To the Viscount she bore two sons, John,
Lord Mountstuart, afterwards second Marquess of
Bute, and Patrick James Herbert, afterwards Lord
Patrick James Crichton-Stuart, commonly called Lord