James 8th Lord Cranstoun, a Baron (1755–1796), an officer of the Royal Navy, the third son of James 6th Lord Cranstoun, succeeded to the title on August 1, 1778 upon the death of his elder brother William 7th Lord Cranstoun.
Is one to really believe James 8th Lord Cranstoun, although history will show he was greatly loved and admired, was a saint who lived virginally until he was married in England in his forties, knowing that he, his brother and his father had over 300 slaves, and two plantations on the island of St. Kitts called "The Retreat" or "Cranstoun House".
Let us remember the times he lived in. Naval battles were at very close quarters and many times ended in hand to hand combat. This man was a Lord of the British government, when the battle was over and they put into shore they weren't going in for coffee and donuts...they had survived! Again, he was a British Lord and could not celebrate with his men, simply because of his station in life.
His brother Charles was married 25 August, 1807 at "The Retreat", St. Christopher (St. Kitts), Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles, West Indies and having children at the plantations on St. Kitts (David Cranstoun was born prior to this date in 1795). So how did the Cranstoun family arrive on the island of St. Kitts? To answer this question we have to look at James' father James 6th Lord Cranstoun and then we will begin to see how all the connections from this family lead to David Cranstoun (I use David Cranstoun as my example as I found the most information on him, his father James was also an educated man and could read and write).
In 1776 at the age of 21 James 8th Lord Cranstoun became a Lieutenant in Royal Navy. Two years later in 1778 he succeeds his brother William 7th Lord Cranstoun at the age of 23. Two years later in 1780, James 8th Lord Cranstoun becomes a Captain in the Royal Navy. In January 1782 at 27 years old James 8th Lord Cranstoun becomes Captain of the HMS Belliqueux of 64 canons, in the engagements between Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and the Count de Grasse off St. Christopher’s, January 25 and 26, 1782.
In April 1782 Admiral Lord Rodney finds James 8th Lord Cranstoun on Antigua unemployed and offers him a position for another battle with French commander De Grasse on April 12, 1782. James 8th Lord Cranstoun was sent home with the dispatches announcing the battle, in which his lordship, Admiral Lord Rodney declared that Lord Cranstoun had acted as one of the captains of the Formidable during both actions, and that he was much indebted to his gallant behaviour, on both occasions. This puts James 8th Lord Cranstoun in the vicinity (Battle took place January 25 and 26, 1772) and he is of the age to be the father of James, David's father. According to “The United Service Magazine“ - “Will the really believe that James 8th Lord Cranstoun was not on board either at the earlier or any part of the voyage the Admiral having with great kindness invited him on board of the flag ship only three or four days before the battle having found him unemployed at Antigua.”
Admiral Lord Rodney found James Lord 8th Cranstoun, who had been without a ship for 3 months, on the Island of Antigua. Proof of a Cranstoun on the Island of Antigua!
Why Would James 8th Lord Cranstoun Be On Antigua Unemployed for 3 Months in 1782?
It also just so happens that a man named John Duer was on the Island of Antigua in 1782 and he resigned from the Antigua Council in September 1782 due to ill health, and his family owned plantations on Antigua called Big Duers and Little Duers, (David Cranstoun was also the plantation manager of one of these estates and it appears that he may have grown up on one of the estates, as he was attorney for John Duer) does the name John Duer mean anything to the Cranstoun family? Of course it does, David named his first born son John Duer Cranstoun, why would he do thay knowing the naming patterns of the day?
Oh yes, James' brother Charles had a son named James Edmund 9th Lord Cranstoun born about 1784 on St. Christopher, Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles, West Indies. Does this ring any bells with David Cranstoun's second born son from the Island of Antigua, James Edmund Cranstoun. Coincidence or was David Cranstoun the "prominent man of colour" leaving historical hints in the way he named his children?
James 8th Lord Cranstoun was married on 19 August 1792 to Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis Charles Montolieu, they had no children. James 8th Lord Cranstoun commanded the Bellerophon in Admiral Cornwallis’ squadron, June 17, 1795, when, with five ships of the line and two frigates, he sustained an attack of the French fleet, of thirteen ships of the line, seven frigates, seven rasees and two brigs, and obliged them to give over, after a running fight of twelve hours, wherein eight ships of the line were so shattered that they could not engage any longer. In his dispatches the admiral stated that he considered the Bellerophon as a treasure in store, having heard of her former achievements, and observing the spirit manifested by all on board, joined to the activity and zeal showed by James 8th Lord Cranstoun during the whole cruise. The thanks of parliament were, on November 17, 1795, voted to the admiral, captains, etc, “for the skill, judgment, and determined bravery displayed on this occurrence, which reflected as much credit as the achievement of a victory.” On his arrival in England in 1796 he was appointed Governor of Grenada and Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy but before taking up his appointment he died at Bishop's Waltham on 22 September 1796, as a result of lead-poisoning in cider. He was buried at the Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth.
His character, both as a man and a naval officer, was most honourable. The contemporary journals said that “his death would be felt as a public loss by those who knew his professional merits, and will be long and deeply lamented by all who were acquainted with his exemplary worth in private life.” He married at Darnhall, August 19, 1792, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis Charles Montolieu, sister of Lady Elibank, but had no issue by her. She died at Bath, August 27, 1797 aged twenty-seven.
Is it at all feasible that James 8th Lord Cranstoun laid down with a woman, had a family and moved them to the estate or plantation of John Duer on the Island of Antigua because his natural family were living on St. Kitts and he couldn't recognize his illegitimate family. Hence the naming of David Cranstoun's first born son, John Duer Cranstoun. I would point to the case of Captain Henry Symes who had to obtain special permission from the king in order to marry Sarah Lynch, a woman of colour in 1715. A captain in the Royal Navy versus a British Lord, I believe my thinking is most valid with respect to who the father of David Cranstoun was.
James 8th Lord Cranstoun
Born: June 26, 1755 Crailing, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Died: September 22, 1796 Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, England
Buried: Garrison Chapel, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Baptized: 26 Jun 1755 Crailing, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Suceeded: Brother - William 7th Lord Cranstoun
Married: 19 Aug 1792 Elizabeth Montolieu (d. 27 Aug 1797; bur. in Bath Abbey), daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Charles Montolieu, Baron of St Hypolite in the Holy Roman Empire, by his wife Elizabeth Letreup, daughter of Peter Letreup.
Died: 22 Sep 1796 (bur. in the Garrison Chapel at Portsmouth)
Suceeded By: nephew - James Edmund 9th Lord Cranstoun
Notes: Entered the Royal Navy' Lieutenant 19 October 1776; Captain 31 January 1780, taking part in Admiral Rodney's victory over Count de Grasse; received the thanks of Parliament 1795 for resisting a French fleet; Governor of Grenada 1796, but died before taking up his appointment.
Finally, in the book Caribeana Volume 5 there is the Will of John Richardson Herbert, President of Nevis. This just puts a little more weight to the fact that James 8th Lord Cranstoun was in the area. In his will dated 1788 John Richardson Herbert pays back Lord Cranstown (Cranstoun) the sum of 3,000 pounds for a debt of his brother-in-law Magnus Morton for a mortgage of an estate on Nevis. The same John Richardson Herbert who was uncle to Frances Herbert Nisbet Woolward who married Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson. We can trace the Nisbet line back to Cuthbert Cranstoun 1506-1592 who's daughter Elizabeth Cranstoun of Thirlestane Mains married George Nisbet of that Ilk in 1557.
In 2017 New Research Came Up With The Following:
John Cranstoun (1664-1748) was minister at Crailing and was transferred to Ancrum, Scotland. It was customery back in the day for children who were not next in the line of succession to enter the militaty or the priesthood.
John had a son named John (1714-1790) who took over for his father as Minister of Ancrum. His name was in the registry of Crailing marking the birth of James 8th Lord Cranstoun's birth in 1755. John was minister to the Cranstoun family of Crailing and related to the family but I can not at this time show how. In 1780 there is an entry in the Ancrum Church records which reads as follows:
"1780, 23 January last. Christian Hunter daughter to Thomas Hunter herder in Ancrum had a son born James, born in fornication between her and James Cranstoun, now in the West Indies."
Holy crap I was right...James 8th Lord Cranstoun had a son named after him...James. All the work I had done and finally there it was staring me right in the face...a son born to James Cranstoun now in the West Indies...holy crap, I was ecstatic!
The only Cranstoun's in the West Indies were the family of James 8th Lord Cranstoun and the only James Cranstoun who fits the dates is James 8th Lord Cranstoun, his family had sugar plantations on St. Kitts. The only Cranstoun's in Antigua were my family, the family of David Cranstoun and James Cranstoun was the name of David's father.
Above is a copy of the church registry marking the birth of James 8th Lord Cranstoun. Notice the name of the minister...John Cranstoun, the same John Cranstoun, the Cranstoun family minister, the same John Cranstoun who entered the birth of James Cranstoun born to Christian Hunter. Would one not agree he would know, being the family minister, that James 8th Lord Cranstoun was in the West Indies?
I know my thinking goes against the traditional line and some would say I just want to be royalty but, let's use some common sense here, plus I can trace my Cranstoun line to the Lord Cranstoun's through other means than James 8th Lord Cranstoun from our Antiguan roots. All my research suggests that James 8th Lord Cranstoun had an unbleamished reputation however, are we supposed to believe that after everything this man went through he was a saint above all saints and never laid down with a woman, proof above says no, especially during the times he lived? Whether the son shown in the proof or another son bornn of a slave it doesn't matter...the truth is he had children, no matter waht history says.
I will leave it to the reader to decide for themselves if my theory is correct or not. So let's move on to the next Lord Cranstoun...James Edmund 9th Lord Cranstoun.