Detail of the Hamilton Palace Estate Office, built for David Crawford, Secretary to the 3rd Duke of Hamilton, in 1696

This view shows a detail of the house designed by James Smith, the architect of Hamilton Palace, for David Crawford, formerly the 3rd Duke of Hamilton's secretary. On 22 September 1696, James Smith was writing to tell David that the wrights were very busy with the new structure. A substantial stone building, it was to earn the criticism of one of the duke's younger sons, who told his brother, the Earl of Arran, 'Mr Crawford has built a fine house where Mrs Nasmith's house was, but nearer to the park', adding with some asperity, 'It is after the fashion of the Laird of Livingstone's house, and as many windows in front as his, by which you may see some folks are not losers by Her Grace's service.'

David was no ordinary servant, of course. The son of Duncan Crawford of Knockshinnoch in Ayrshire, he was originally employed while still in his teens to attend the 3rd Duke's young sons, and he was educated at Glasgow University along with them. After that, he not only acted as the duke's secretary, but had a thriving legal practice in Edinburgh, leading the duke to complain that he was neglecting his duties at the palace. Following the duke's death, Duchess Anne urged David to live permanently at Hamilton as her adviser, hence the new house.

Married to Anne Cockburn, one of the duchess's servants who was herself the daughter of two other palace servants, David and his wife had a large family. In 1710 they named their tenth son Archibald, after the duchess's 13th child. The following year, David's wife died, leaving him with eight surviving children. Some months later, he married Anne Auchterlony, widow of a wealthy Edinburgh merchant. She brought him substantial properties in the capital, Duchess Anne obtained for him the lucrative position of clerk to the admission of notaries and he was a burgess of both Hamilton and the Canongate of Edinburgh. He and his second wife lived on until 1736, when they died within a few months of each other.