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Rh dictines of the abbey of Arbroath their chief justiciar, but on account of the expense incurred in supporting his retinue they deposed him, appointing in his place Alexander Ogilvie of Inverquharity, nephew of John Ogilvie of Airlie, who was supposed to have an hereditary right to the office. On this the Master of Crawford took forcible possession of the town and abbey, and the Ogilvies resolved on their part to expel him. Learning their approach, the Lindsays drew up in battle array before the gates of the town. Just as the two armies were about to close in battle on 13 June 1445–6, the old Earl of Crawford appeared suddenly between the two lines, endeavouring with voice and gesture to prevent the conflict; but before his intention was properly known he was struck by one of the Ogilvies in the mouth with a spear and mortally wounded. Greatly infuriated by the loss of their chief, the Lindsays impetuously attacked the Ogilvies, and soon routed them with great slaughter, and ravaged and burnt their lands; the feud thus originated was not extinguished for more than a century.

In 1446 Crawford was made hereditary sheriff of Aberdeen, and in 1451 a warden of the marches. He was now one of the most powerful nobles beyond the Tay, and when about this time he entered into a league with William, eighth earl of Douglas [q. v.], and MacDonald of the Isles for mutual defence against all men, James II, recognising that his rule was in serious jeopardy, resolved to thwart their purpose by the murder of Douglas, which was effected at Stirling on 21 Feb. 1452. Crawford thereupon assembled his forces at Brechin, with the view of intercepting the Earl of Huntly, lieutenant-general of the kingdom, on his march southwards to the assistance of the king against the Douglases. At the battle which took place there on 18 May 1452, Crawford, by the treachery of one of his vassals, suffered defeat just as victory seemed to be within his grasp. He fled to his castle of Finhaven. Sentence of forfeiture was passed against him, and the lordship of Brechin and the sheriffship of Aberdeen were transferred to Huntly; but for a time he not only defied these decrees, but revenged himself by ravaging the lands of his enemies, and especially of those who had deserted him in the battle. After the fall of the Douglases he came to see that further resistance was useless, and when the king made a progress through Forfarshire in 1453, he appeared before him in mean array, bareheaded and barefooted, to make his submission. Previously he had taken the precaution to make friends of Huntly and Kennedy, archbishop of St. Andrews, and through their intercession he received a free and full pardon. As, however, the king had sworn to make the highest stone of Finhaven the lowest, he went to the earl's castle and fulfilled his oath by pitching a loose stone from one of the highest battlements to the ground. Six months afterwards the earl died, in 1454, of a hot fever, and was buried in the family vault in Greyfriars Church, Dundee. By his wife, Marjory Dunbar, daughter of Sir David Dunbar, brother of George, earl of March, he had two sons—David Lindsay, fifth earl of Crawford and first duke of Montrose [q. v.], and Sir Alexander Lindsay of Auchtermonzie—and one daughter, Elizabeth, married to John, first lord Drummond, and ancestress of Darnley.

 LINDSAY, ALEXANDER, first (d. 1607), was the fourth son of David, tenth earl of Crawford, by his wife Margaret Beaton, daughter of the cardinal, and was brother of David, eleventh earl of Crawford [q. v.] At an early age he became one of James VI's favourites, and was chosen his vice-chamberlain. According to Moysie, ‘being ane great courtier,’ he on 2 Nov. 1588 ‘tuik the gift of the king's guard over the Master of Glamis' head’ (Memoirs, p. 71). In October of the following year he accompanied the king when he went to Denmark to bring home his bride. Towards the expenses of the expedition he lent a thousand crowns to the king, who promised on his return ‘to make him a lord.’ On 6 May 1590, therefore, he received a charter of Spynie and other lands belonging to the see of Moray, which were erected into the free barony of Spynie, together with the title of Baron Spynie, which was conferred on him and his heirs and assignees, the creation being confirmed on 4 Nov. following (ib. p. 85). The king also used his special influence (see several curious letters by him in Lives of the Lindsays) to induce Dame Jean Lyon, daughter of Lord Glamis, and widow first of Sir Robert Douglas, and secondly of Archibald, earl of Angus, to agree to give Lord Spynie her hand in marriage. The royal mediation was ultimately successful, and Lord Spynie, after the marriage, took up his residence at Aberdour, where he lived in great splendour (, History of the Kirk, p. 170).

Lord Spynie was one of the new members of the privy council, chosen after the 