Between the 6th and 9th centuries, Danes lived in one of the little kingdoms of Lincolnshire in England to which, after the Norman Conquest, Baldric of Lindsay came to be tenant of the manors under the Earl of Chester.

The Lindsay name was already well known across England at this time. In 1120 Sir Walter Lindsay was a member of the council of David, Earl of Huntingdon in England, who became King of Scots in 1124. Sir Walter’s successor, either his son or brother William, came to Scotland with the new King.

William Lindsay acquired Crawford in Lanarkshire and gave some of his Ayrshire land to Dryburgh Abbey.