CP and SP on Erskine and Crichton

Here's a nice little problem between CP and SP:

In CP V, p. 105 it says that Alexander Erskine m. before 9
Oct 1466 Christian da. of Sir Robert Crichton of Sanquhar by Elizabeth
da. of Sir William (or John) Erskine of Kinnoull. Christian d.
between Nov. 1477 and Mar 1477-8.

In CP III, p. 539, it says that the Robert Crichton who m. Christian,
dau. of Sir John Erskine of Kinnoul was, in fact, the first lord
Crichton.

So far, a little CP addition about the lordship of Crichton. But go to SP
and:

In SP vol V, pp. 607-8, it says that Alexander, 3rd lord Erskine, m.
before 1466 Christian, dau. of Sir Robert Crichton of Sanquhar, again
without his lordship and not specifying which Crichton it might have
been.

In SP vol III, p. 222, it says that Christian who m. Alexander master
of Erskine before Oct 1466 was the dau. of Robert Crichton of
Sanquhar and Elizabeth N. N., the parents of the first lord Crichton.
Christian died between Nov 1477 and March 1477-8. SP gives a
reference for Christian of Acta. Auditorum, 8.

Which is right about Christian Crichton's parents? CP or SP?

An obvious thought is that Christian Crichton is more likely to have
been the dau. of Robert Crichton and _Christian_ Erskine.

Chris Phillips...

My only thought is that - going by the Erskine pedigree on the stirnet site
was the daughter of Robert Crichton and Christian Erskine, she would have
been a third cousin of Alexander Erskine, so that the marriage would require
a dispensation.

Also that the chronology looks a bit odd if Christian, as a widow, married
Alexander Erskine in or before 1466, and Robert Crichton and Christian were
married "in or before 1457" (with Robert's only son marrying in 1472),
though there's no indication how long before 1457 they may have married.
Perhaps SP gives a few more clues to the chronology?

Tim Powys-Lybbe...

Yes it does. The primary clue is in Christian Crichton's first
marriage, to Sir Robert Colville. Fortunately Sir Robert Colville also
appears in SP, vol II, pp. 540-1 (just found this) and we have a few
more dates:

In 1441 Sir Robert Colville's father, Robert de Colville, received the
lands of Barnwell and Symington from his mother (Margaret Lindsay).
The father then resigned these lands to his son Sir Robert.

Also in 1441 Sir Robert then resigned the lands of Ochiltree to his
son, another Sir Robert. The first Sir Robert m. Christian Crichton
bef Feb 1450-1 and died by 1466.

The second Sir Robert was knighted in 1467 and was a Scots MP between
1469 and 1481.

Obviously there is something very funny in the above, particularly if
the second Sir Robert was born at least 10 years before the marriage of
his supposed parents. It looks like Christian Crichton was a second
wife.

Anyhow Christian Crichton looks as if she was of child-bearing age in
1451, when she m. Robert Colville, and still bearing children in 1466
when she m. Alexander Erskine. Let's guess that she was born around
1435 (she died between Nov 1477 and Mar 1477-8). So, which were her
parents Robert Chrichton and Elizabeth N, or their son Robert Crichton,
eventually lord Crichton, and Christian Erskine (the third cousin of
Alexander Erskine who married Christian Crichton)?

The date of the marriage of Robert Crichton and Elizabeth N. is not
given in SP (nor CP).

In SP III, 221-3, the son Robert Crichton, lord Crichton, had a papal
dispensation to m. Christian Erskine after their marriage and the
dispensation was dated 3 Dec 1457. That sounds like there was no way
they could have been the parents of Christian Crichton who m. Robert
Colville and then Alexander Erskine.

Sounds like an itsy correction to CP which says, vol V, p. 105, that
Alexander Erskine:

"m. 1stly, before 9 Oct 1466, Christian, widow of Sir Robert Colville
of Oxnam, and da. of Sir Robert Crichton of Sanquhar, by Elizabeth,
da. of Sir William (or John) Erskine, of Kinnoull"

The last half should be amended to:

" ... da. of Sir Robert Crichton by Elizabeth __."

who were the parents of the first lord Crichton.

Chris Phillips...

Thanks for posting those further details. It does look as though CP has
muddled up which of the Crichton wives was an Erskine, and atached the
parentage of Christian to her mother-in-law Elizabeth.

Chris Phillips

Lest anyone wonders what all the fuss is about, this is, of course, in
the ancestry of Camilla, duchess of Cornwall, though only if Edward VII
is not in her ancestry.

Chris Phillips