Early Life
Craufurd was born at Newark Castle, Ayrshire, the third son of Sir Alexander Crauford, 1st Baronet (see Craufurd baronets) and his wife, Jane Crokatt, and the younger brother of General Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd. He was educated at Harrow School (1779), and later at Göttingen University (1787).
He entered the army as an ensign in the 25th Regiment of Foot in 1779, was promoted lieutenant in 1781, and captain into the 75th Regiment of Foot in 1783. He served with this unit in India in Lord Cornwallis's campaigns against Tipu Sultan between 1790 and 1792, establishing a reputation as a good regimental officer.
In the early 1790s, Craufurd returned to Europe and was employed on attachment, under his brother Charles, with the Austrian armies operating against the French, remaining there after Charles was severely wounded. He returned to England in December 1797 and was promoted lieutenant-colonel. In 1798 he was appointed deputy quartermaster-general in Ireland, and his services during the suppression of the uprising there, especially his contribution to the operations against General Humbert's French corps, were praised by General Lake. In 1799 he acted as Britain's military attaché to General Suvorov's headquarters during his campaign in Switzerland. He served on the staff in the expedition to The Helder in the Netherlands. On 6 February 1800 he married Mary Frances Holland (d. 1842), daughter of the architect Henry Holland of Hans Place, Chelsea, London. They had three sons and a daughter.
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