Bell Anthology - Craig Family

The Raymond M. Bell Anthology



The Craig Family
     John CRAIG settled on 10 mile Creek 1774, according to his Virginia 
certifcate issued about 1780 in Monongalia County W.Va. This became Amwell 
Township Washington Co., PA in 1761, later Morris, now South Franklin Twp. He 
had four sons, Samuel and Robert had adjoining warrents for 374, 300 and 234 
acres respectively. William bought 167 acres nearby from John DODD in 1788.

     According to his grandson (Beers p. 1313), John CRAIG came from Ireland, 
when son William (B c1762) was "a small boy". In 1784 John CRAIG adjoined with 
Levi HOLLINGSWORTH and Thomas SHIELDS of Philadelphia to take out 54 warrants 
(440 ac each) on vacant land in (now) southwestern Washington and (now) 
northwestern Greene Cos. CRAIG obtained 18 of the warrants, a total of 7200 
acres. In 1792 as a non-resident he was assessed for 5000 aacres in Finley (now 
Richhill) Twp.

     As agreed September 17, 1754, John CRAIG on Oct. 5, 1786 (Washington Co., 
DB D-45) sold 600 acres to his sons, Samuel, Thomas, William, Robert and Jesse 
(a minor) and 600 acres to his daughters, Cynthia, Desdemona, and Artimes. 
Numerous deeds tell of the disposal of this land.

     John CRAIG "Esq.", was taxed for land in present day South Franklin 
1782-87. In 1790 census listed John, William and Robert. Samuel left in 
1790. John's name is on the tax list in 1793 for the last time. Thomas left 
that year for (West) Virginia. In 1793 John was a non-resident in Richhill 
Twp., now Greene Co. In 1794 John and Jesse were non-residents. John likely 
moved to Richhill about 1796 and lived with Jesse, who had a house worth $70 and 
400 acres in 1798. John is in the Richhill 1800 Census. The last record of 
John is when he patented land on Richhill in 1802. Jesse and Thomas are in the 
1804 Richhill tax list. Robert left his farm in 1804. Jesse was in Richhill 
Twp. in 1810, Thomas in 1810 and 1820. There were no further record of them. 
William remained in South Franklin.

     John CRAIG b c1730 d aft 1802 m c1755.. left Ireland c1766, settled in 
Washington Co., 1774. Children named in Deed Book D-45.

1. Samuel CRAIG b c1756, ensign under Capt. William LEET 1781-82, land grant 
1785, taxed 1782-89, sold land and left 1790.

2. Thomas CRAIG B C1760, sergeant under Cat. William LEET 1781-82, may 
have gone to Kentucky or Ohio after 1820, m.1 c1788 Ann CLEMENS daughter of 
James b 1771 d c1802 Richhill Twp. (water of Wheeling Creek), in 1806 "late wife 
of Thomas CRAIG", Thomas m.2 1803......b c1789 taxed 1783-92, 1793 "gone", went 
to Parkersburg, (W.) VA, returned to Richhill c1800, taxed 1804, census 1810. 
1820.

   a.Jessie Richley CRAIG (MD), in Bethel, Ohio 1824; Cyhthia, Ind. 1829; 
brother in Flemingsburg, Ky. and several others.

1818 a letter from Buffalo: 
   I met a daughter of Craig's, the father lives 20 or 30 miles off. Mary C. 
Clemens history: 
   They first lived in the Old Clemens homestead in Washington County and then 
moved to Virginia, a short distance below Marietta, Ohio. They aferwards 
returned to Pennsylvania on Wheeling Creek, where Ann (Nancy) died. Thomas 
married a second time a young girl about 14, the age of his oldest daughter, the 
youngest was 2.

3. William CRAIG b c1762 Ireland d July 30, 1823, about 60, at son's near 
Cinncinnati on returning from Indiana (Washington Examiner) m 1787 Lydia (likely 
dau of Thomas) STOKELY b c1767 d June 26, 1848, taxed from 1787, bought 167 
acres Oct. 22, 1788 from John 0000, now S. Franklin Twp., gristmill, squire, 
house worth $85. in 1798, children listed in Beer's p. 1313.

a. Eli b May 17, 1788 
b. Otho b Apr. 2, 1790 
c. John b Sep. 2, 1792 ?d young 
d. Arthuur b Jul. 13, 1794 son Ira 
e. Thomas b Mar. 13, 1796 
f. Elizabeth b Jul. 31, 1798 
g. Samuel b Jun. 22, 1800 
h. Prudence b Feb. 14, 1803 m May 7, 1829 Anthony TENNIS 
i. Cornelia b Feb. 14, 1803 
j. Martin Bom b Feb. 8, 1808 m Dec 24, 1831 Sarah ELLIOT.

4.Robert CRAIG b. 1764 m. c1789 Sarah 
land grant 1785, taxed 1789-1803 house 1798 $16. 
1800 Census 1 son, 3 dtrs 
sold land and left in 1804.

5. Jesse CRAIG b c1770, brothers sold him land in Richhill Twp., in Richill 
1792, and 1798, house worth $70. on tax list 1804, in 1810 census 3 sons, 2 
daughters.

6. Cynthia CRAIG

7. Desdemona CRAIG

8. Artemis CRAIG

This article was transcribed by Liz DuBois of Bremerton, WA in August 1998.


Raymond M. Bell Anthology     Genealogy in Washington Co., PA

Published with permission of Raymond M. Bell.