Lindsay (various spellings) is an English surname, originally derived from the old Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, although it may have overtones of an earlier family in Normandy prior to 1066. The names of several individuals named de Lindeseye appear in the Ragman Roll and it is apparently towards of the 13th century that the name is seen in Scotland. The title Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. The surname of Lindsay continues to be borne by the Earls of Balcarres and Earls of Crawford and was used in the 15th and 16th centuries as a surname by members of lower nobility (younger sons of Lindsay clan chiefs) in Scotland, acquiring the status of a common surname in the 19th century. There are various books about the family including The Lives of the Lindsays or a Memoir of the Houses of Crawford and Balcarres by Lord Lindsay published in four volumes in 1840 and The History and Traditions of the Lands of the Lindsays in Angus and the Mearns by Andrew Jervise and published in 1882. There are also various web sites pertaining to Clan Lindsay.

My Lindsays are from Angus, particularly around Cortachy and Clova, Menmuir, Tannadice – but whether they are related to some scion of the Lindsays of Edzell, Glenesk or Lethnot I simply do not know. To get an idea of where the early Lindsays lived and worked, see the various Statistical Accounts for Forfarshire. The tree below show the descendants of George Lindsay, the first I know of in my line.