Patrick (McDouall) MacDowall-Crichton (1726 - 1803)

Born 15 Oct 1726 in Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Crauford) MacDowall-Crichton — married 1 Sep 1771 (to 1799) in Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 7 Apr 1803 at age 76 in Edinburgh, Edinburghshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Biography

Patrick McDouall was a member of the aristocracy in Scotland.

Patrick (McDouall) MacDowall-Crichton is Notable.

Patrick (McDouall) MacDowall-Crichton was born on October 15, 1726^[1]. His parents were John McDouall (~1700 - >1740) and Lady Elizabeth (Dalrymple) McDouall (>1697 - >1740)^[1].

Patrick was the oldest in a family of 7 children^[2]:

1. Penelope McDouall, 1728 - 1774
2. Stair MacDowall, b. 1732, death unknown
3. Crichton MacDowall, dates unknown & unsourced on FamilySearch
4. Eleanora McDowall, birth unknown, d. 1804
5. John McDouall (<1740 - 1803)
6. William MacDowall, birth unknown, d. 1760 & unsourced on FamilySearch

Patrick was not born with his title. Instead it came to him when his maternal uncle William Dalrymple-Crichton (5th Earl of Dumfries) died without an heir on 27 Jul 1768^[2]. At this point, Patrick was already 42. Prior to this Patrick had a military career and served as an officer in the 3rd Foot Guards^[3].

Once he became Earl of Dumfries, Patrick continued to serve his country as a member of Parliament. He was chosen as one of sixteen representatives of the Scottish peerage in the general elections of 1790, 1796 and 1802^[2]. Additionally Patrick was Grand Master of FreeMasons from 1771 to 1773^[3].

Patrick married Margaret Crauford (~1753 - 1799) on September 1, 1771 in Old Cumnock, Ayr, Scotland^[1]. An alternative marriage date of September 12, 1771 is provided in The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant, volume 4 by George E. Cokayne^[3].

Patrick and Margaret had two daughters, but the younger of these died in infancy^[2]. Their elder daughter was Lady Elizabeth Penelope (McDouall) Stuart (1772 - 1797)^[4].

Patrick lived to see his daughter Elizabeth married to John Stuart on 12 Oct 1792^[5]. The arrival of two grandsons followed:

1. John Crichton-Stuart 2nd Marquess of Bute
2. Patrick James Herbert Crichton-Stuart

The last decade of Patrick's life was marked by loss. His son-in-law John Stuart died on 22 Jan 1794 from injuries sustained after falling from his horse^[6]. His daughter Lady Elizabeth Penelope (McDouall) Stuart died several years later on 25 Jul 1797^[2]. His wife Margaret Crauford died on 5 May 1799 of cramp in the stomach^[3].

Patrick died on April 7, 1803 in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh aged 76^[3].

Dumfries House and Estate

Dumfries House

Dumfries House remained a family home until 1993.  From 1993 to 2007, the house was still owned by descendants of Patrick, but not used as a residence.  In 2007, the house was put up for sale.  Through action taken by The Prince's Foundation and The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, Dumfries House was refurbished and protected.  Today it functions as a place where local residents, especially youth, can seek educational opportunities and experiences.  Patrick's uncle, William Dalrymple-Crichton, had engaged top architects to build his new house in the 1750s.  Later Patrick's great-grandson John Patrick Crichton-Stuart commissioned the addition of extensions on both sides of the building.  Despite the lapse of over 100 years between construction dates, these additions made in 1889 still blend well with the house's Georgian style.  William Dalrymple-Crichton also spared no expense in decorating the interior of his residence which features furniture handcrafted in the workshop of Thomas Chippendale.  All of this historic beauty has been preserved for present and future generations to appreciate and enjoy.^[7].

Research Notes

Researchers will find that Patrick McDowall-Crichton is variably listed as the 5th or 6th Earl of Dumfries in genealogies and historical accounts. The discrepancy is based on the fact that the Dumfries title was held by a woman Penelope Crichton between the years of 1694 and 1742. If she had been a man, Penelope would have been the 4th Earl of Dumfries. She was instead known as the Countess of Dumfries. Penelope was the eldest granddaughter of the 2nd Earl of Dumfries and succeeded to the Dumfries title upon the death of her brother who was the 3rd Earl of Dumfries. Acknowledging Penelope's place in the succession would then make her son William Dalrymple-Crichton the 5th Earl of Dumfries and her grandson Patrick the 6th Earl of Dumfries^[3].Ko-31 15:28, 2 July 2021 (UTC)

There is no definitive source for Patrick's place of birth. His father was from Freugh in county Wigton. One younger sibling, Stair McDowall, was christened in Stranraer, Wigtownshire in 1732^[8]. It seems plausible that Patrick would have also been born in this town and some historical accounts do refer to Patrick as "of Freugh"^[2].Ko-31 15:28, 2 July 2021 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT2N-FPJ : 11 February 2020), Patrick Earl Of Dumfries MacDowall-Crichton, 1771.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} https://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/dumfries.htm
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} Cokayne, George, E. The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant, volume 4. The St. Catherine press, ltd, 1910. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo04coka/page/500/mode/2up?view=theater (accessed June 28, 2021).
4. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XBGK-Z26 : 11 February 2020), Patrick Earl Dumfries MacDowall-Chrichton in entry for Elizabeth Penelope Chrichton, 1772.
5. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT2N-4W5 : 11 February 2020), Patrick Earl Of Dumfries MacDowall-Crichton in entry for John Viscount Mount Stuart Stuart, 1792.
6. ↑ https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=&suro=w&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=STRT784J&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50
7. ↑ https://www.dumfries-house.org.uk/about/history
8. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMM1-J21 : 12 February 2020), Stair McDowall, 1732.