Crauford Tait

He inherited the Harvieston estate in 1800 on the death of his father. He retained a substantial townhouse at 2 Park Place in Edinburgh which enabled his children to be educated there.^[6]

In 1804, he employed John Paterson to rebuild Harviestoun in the Adam style.^[7] In 1805 he purchased Dollar Glen and Castle Campbell, from his wife's uncle, consolidating the castle and leaving it as a romantic ruin as was the fashion of the day (Castle Campbell was visible from Harvieston).^[8]

In 1810, he was responsible for organising the section of the new turnpike road between Dollar and Tillicoultry (linking Stirling to Kinross and now known as the A91). When the new road was created the old road (just north of the house) became redundant other than as an access to the house.^[9]

On 17 June 1795, Tait married Susan Campbell (1775–1814), daughter of Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth, and Susan Mary Murray (a daughter of Archibald Murray of Murrayfield and sister of Alexander Murray, Lord Henderland). Together, they were the parents of ten children, including:

• John Tait (1796–1877), who married his first cousin, Mary Amelia Sitwell, daughter of Francis Sitwell, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed (brother of Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet), and Ann Campbell (a daughter of Lord Succoth),^[10] in 1824.^[11]
• Susan Murray Tait (1798–1880), who married Sir George Sitwell, 2nd Baronet, only son of Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet and Alice Parke, in 1818.^[12]
• Charlotte Tait (1800–1888), who married, as his second wife, Sir Charles Wake, 10th Baronet, son of Sir William Wake, 9th Baronet and Mary Sitwell (sister of Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet), in 1822. Sir Charles' first wife was Mary Alice Sitwell (a daughter of Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet and Alice Parke).^[12]
• Archibald Campbell Tait (1811–1882), who became Archbishop of Canterbury; he married Catherine Spooner, daughter of Ven. William Spooner, in 1843.^[13][14]

Tait died on 2 May 1832 and was buried in the family burial enclosure: "Tait's Tomb" south-east of Harvieston House. Harvieston House was demolished in 1971 to avoid rates.^[15]

Through his son Archibald, he was a grandfather of Edith Murdoch Tait (1858–1936),w ho married Randall Davidson who (partly due to Tait's influence) was later also Archbishop of Canterbury.^[16]