William Crichton (1598–1691) was the 2nd Earl of Dumfries and a privy councillor to Charles II of England. After the Glorious Revolution, Crichton resigned his titles on 10 September 1690 and had them restored on 3 November 1690 by the new King William III of England. Although he produced two sons, they both pre-deceased William, so his titles passed to his grandson William. At the time of Crichton's birth, his family owned a large number of estates in the area around Sanquhar, but due to financial problems caused in part by a large celebration thrown in 1617 for the visiting King James VI, by 1642 the family had sold their Sanquar properties and moved to Cumnock. In 1686 the body of covenanter Alexander Peden was exhumed by troops from Sorn Castle and brought to Cumnock to be posthumously hung. At the behest of his wife, Crichton prevented the troops from hanging the body, telling them that "the gibbet was erected for malefactors and murderers, and not for such men as Peden".

Family

On 29 August 1618, he married Penelope Swift, daughter of Sir Robert Swift, Sheriff of Yorkshire, and they produced two sons and three daughters.