Cranston

Cranston was a castle belonging to the Cranston family, although nothing of it now remains.

In the 12th century Cranston was divided into two manors, Upper Cranston and Nether Cranston, possibly by Hugo Riddel de Cranston.

In the mid-13th century William de Mautelant, an ancestor of the Maitland Earls of Lauderdale, was given the estates of Traquair by his father, Thomas, to mark his marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of William Watson of Cranston.

Elizabeth’s brother, also William Watson, had a charter of the lands of Traquair with the consent of his brother-in-law, William de Mautelant, in 1427 on the condition that should he (or his uncle Robert and cousin Roger Watson) fail to produce an heir the lands would pass to Andrew Murray, the son of John Murray of Blackbarony. It seems that the Watson line failed since by 1464 the Murrays were in possession of Traquair.

In the mid-15th century a daughter of Sir Thomas Cranstoun of Cranstoun married Patrick of Ruthven.

Thomas de Cranstoune was Justiciar of the King in 1450 or 1451 when he ruled on a dispute over the boundaries of the two parts of Morhame.