John Innes Crawford

Owner of Bellfield estate in St James, Jamaica, which he inherited from his father John Crawford in 1781.

1. John Crawford Esquire, planter in Jamaica, in Old Kirk parish, and Miss Elizabeth [sic] Innes, daughter of Alexander Innes Esquire of Coloty[?] Lane now in Lady Yesters Kirk parish, married in Edinburgh 24/03/1771. A daughter, Cristy Ann, was born 31/12/1773 and baptised 25/03/1774 in St James, Jamaica, to John Crawford and his wife Isabell. John Innes Crawford was born 27/10/1776 and baptised 26/12/1776 in St James, son of John Crawford and Isabella Crawford.

2. According to an unpublished family history, John Innes Crawford's mother Isabella "Tibby" Innes (1748-1819) was the daughter of Alexander Innes, 2nd of Cathlaw (1711-1787) and his wife Christian nee Cave (who died in 1805). She married John Crawford of Bellfield, Jamaica, in 1771 (he died in 1781). She remarried, in 1783, to Alexander Simpson, a bank clerk in Aberdeen.

3. John Innes Crawford of Bellfield in Kilmarnock, Scotland, was reportedly born 'c. 1770' at Cleghorn House, Bellfield. He lived at 6 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh from 1796-1800 and 91 George Street, Edinburgh, 1801-1825. Mrs Alex. Simpson was also listed at 6 Charlotte Square from 1797 to 1800. John Innes Crawford esq. of Bellfield, Cleghorn-house, Lanarkshire, was a member of the Highland Society of Scotland in January 1816.

4. John Innes Crawford of Belfield, Esquire, Captain in the 10th Regiment of North British Militia, married Miss [Jane] McMurdo, eldest daughter of John McMurdo of Northfield Esquire, 04/10/1799. No children have been found born to this couple in Scotland.

5. Husband and wife wrote a joint will in 1831, leaving all their personal estate to each other, £100 to Douglas Veitch McMurdo Esquire (collector of customs in Port Glasgow) and £100 to Charles McMurdo Esquire (merchant in Liverpool). Residuary legatee was Miss Jane Huggan, eldest daughter of James Huggan Esquire of Hateside[?]. He died at Dumfries, 22/11/1839, personal effects £459 7s 5d.

1. GROS OPR Marriages 685/1 490 484 Edinburgh; Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

2. https://www.anesfhs.org.uk/images/downloads/innes/pdfs/a_8_innes_of_cathlaw.pdf (pdf, accessed 08/11/2017] sourced to Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Inneses of Toux and Coxton (not published). Reference supplied by John Crae, email 06/11/2017.

3. See public member tree by julieleggatt68 on Ancestry.com for addresses and Cleghorn connection; email from John Crae, 06/11/2017 sourced to Edinburgh Post Office Directories; Prize Essays and Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1816) vol. IV, Appendix I, p. 628.

4. Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany p. 319 (October 1799).

5. Gentleman's Magazine Vol. 13 p. 109 (January 1840). SC15/41/6 Dumfries Sheriff Court.

We are grateful to John Crae for his assistance with compiling this entry.