Capt. John Craig and Martha Clark
Husband Capt. John Craig 1 2 3 4
Born: 27 Apr 1753 - Belvidere, Warren Co, NJ 2 5 Christened: Died: 1845 or 1852 - near Freeport, Armstrong Co, PA 6 7 Buried: - Freeport, Armstrong Co, PA
Father: Lt. Samuel Craig ( -Abt 1777) 2 3 8 9 10 11 12 Mother: Elizabeth McDonald ( - ) 2 8 11 13
Marriage: 1780 14
Wife Martha Clark 1 14 15
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: Samuel Clark ( - ) 14 Mother:
Children
1 M Samuel Craig 14 15 16
Born: 26 Jan 1781 - near Hannastown, Westmoreland Co, PA 14 Christened: Died: 1865 - Armstrong Co, PA 14 Buried:Spouse: Mary Milligan ( - ) 15 16 Marr: 2 Jun 1808 14
2 M James Craig 15
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
3 F Isabella Craig 17
Born: 1782 17 Christened: Died: 1872 17 Buried:Spouse: Rev. James Boyd (1774-1813) 17 Marr: 1807 17
4 F Elizabeth Craig 18
Born: Christened: Died: Abt 1827 Buried:Spouse: George Clark ( -Abt 1822) 18
5 M John Craig 15 19
Born: 1787 19 Christened: Died: 1868 19 Buried:Spouse: Mary Daugherty ( - ) 19
6 F Martha Craig 20
Born: 3 Mar 1796 20 Christened: Died: 25 Nov 1876 20 Buried:Spouse: James Hill (1794-1856) 20 Marr: 1 Feb 1816 20
General Notes: Husband - Capt. John Craig
He was a native of New Jersey, and was brought to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, when young.
He enlisted in the summer of 1775 and served first under Captain Hendricks. On January 5, 1776, he was appointed second lieutenant in Second Battalion Pennsylvania Troops and marched to Canada under Colonel St. Clair. In the spring of 1777 he was appointed lieutenant in Fourth Regiment Light Dragoons, and was promoted to captain of said regiment, January 22, 1778, and so served until the close of the war. Sometime prior to the establishment of permanent peace by Wayne's victory and treaty with the Indians a block-house was erected on the Allegheny river, on the present site of Freeport, Pennsylvania. Its commandant was this Captain John Craig, whose command consisted of forty men and it was their business to watch the Indians from the Red Bank creek to the Kiskiminetas river.
He was one of the early landholders in West Franklin township, Armstrong County. For several years a man named William Stevenson occupied the land for him. Settlement was begun in October, 1795. The land was surveyed to Stevenson in May, 1801. A patent was granted to John Craig, May 24, 1836. The land had been settled by his son Samuel at or before the beginning of the 1800s.
He became a distinguished citizen of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. "Some time prior to the establishment of permanent peace by Wayne's victory over the treaty with the Indians, a block-house was erected on the Allegheny, about 120 rods above the mouth of the Buffalo, which is now on Water, below Fifth street, Freeport. Its commandant was Capt. John Craig, whose command consisted of forty or fifty men, most of whom were inexperienced soldiers." The account goes on to relate how a false alarm, made purposely to test their valor, so frightened them that they abandoned the fort. Another of Craig's military experiences is worth recording: "On a certain occasion Craig ordered a scouting party to make a tour of observation as far up the country as the mouth of Red Bank. They went, and on their return reported that they had not discovered any Indians. One of them, however, while on his deathbed, many years afterward, sent for Craig and confessed to him that, while on that tour, he and his comrades had captured an Indian, and after obtaining all the information possible from him, and not wishing to have the trouble of taking him as a prisoner to the blockhouse, they concluded to keep his capture a secret, and to dispatch him by tying him to a tree and each one shooting him, so that, all being equally guilty, there would be no danger of anyone disclosing their dread secret. Others of that scouting party having been questioned about that affair, acknowledged to finding the Indian, but averred that John Harbison, who had just cause for a deadly hate toward all Indians, tomahawked him while he was conversing with another of the party who understood the Indian language, and they had all agreed to keep that deed secret on Harbison's account." This John Harbison was the husband of Massey Harbison, whose capture by the Indians and escape are a well-known story.
Near the close of the eighteenth century Capt. John Craig moved to the west side of the Allegheny river, into what is now Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He acquired title of his tract of 394 acres, 30 perches, in South Buffalo township by the purchase of Samuel Paul's interest in it, Oct 2, 1794, for $90, and by set-tlement and improvement which he commenced in the summer of 1795. It probably attracted his attention while he was commandant of the blockhouse at Freeport. He brought with him that summer a two months' supply of provisions and built a cabin near a spring on the parcel later owned by L. W. Patterson. Craig, while returning to his home in Westmoreland County, met Charles Sipes, who was moving his family to this region. Not having a cabin of his own, he asked for and obtained leave to occupy Craig's until he could build one. On the arrival of Craig with his family the next spring, Sipes declined to give up his possession of the cabin and survey. Craig encamped his family and built another cabin on the opposite side of the spring, and prosecuted Charles Sipes, Sr., No. 3, June sessions, in the court of Quarter Sessions, of Allegheny county, and Charles Sipes, Jr., No. 4, same sessions, for forcible detainer. Those cases were tried at the next September sessions, and there was a verdict of guilty against the elder, and of not guilty against the younger, Sipes. Still that litigation cost Craig about $100, which in the then great scarcity of money was a heavy burden to a pioneer in the wilderness. The war between those claimants of the tract was a very civil one, for they were, during the whole of their contest, on friendly terms, using the same springhouse for their milk, and their families shared with each other such rarities and delicacies as either obtained. Sipes removed soon after the trial to another tract of land. Craig was assessed with two distilleries from 1808 to 1810. Later he had a mill at Freeport.
The name of John Craig figures in various other land transactions, though he resided on and continued to improve the tract above mentioned until his death, when he was "almost a centenarian, with failing mind and memory."
Captain Craig was one of the earliest justices of the peace in Armstrong County. The seat of justice of the county was directed by act of Assembly March 12, 1800, to be located at a distance not greater than five miles from "Old Kittanning Town." By this act also John Craig, James Sloan and James Barr were named and constituted trustees to receive and hold the title for the necessary public buildings; and for that purpose they were authorized to receive proposals in writing from any person or body corporate for the conveyance or grant of any lands within the limits of that act.
On May 24, 1836, a patent was granted to John Craig, Sr., for an eight-sided tract in West Franklin township, in the southern part of which, about sixty rods from its southwest boundary, is the junction of Big and Little Buffalo creeks. The improvement began March 3, 1793, and the settlement in October, 1795, and in 1801 it was surveyed by George Ross to William Stevenson, who occupied it several years for Craig. James Karr, Sr., also occupied a part of it under Craig. It had been settled by the latter's son Samuel at or before the beginning of the nineteenth century, and on the southwestern part of it, on or near the left bank of Big Buffalo creek, he erected a fulling mill with which, 400 acres, and one horse, he was assessed in 1805 at $20, and in 1806 at $200. The carding of wool into rolls was begun there about 1814. The fulling mill was assessed to him until 1821, when it with 200 acres, with which he had been for several years assessed, was assessed to his brother John Craig, Jr., who continued the fulling and carding until 1835, when, according to recollection of John Craig (son of Samuel), his uncle, John Craig, Jr. (later known as Sr.), and Robert Cooper entered into a partnership for manufacturing flannels, blankets and other woolen goods. Cooper sold his interest in the factory to John Craig, Jr., and James Craig, Sept. 1, 1837, and they operated it for several years. John Craig, Sr., conveyed eighty acres of this tract to John Craig, Jr., July 18, 1836, for $400. The factory building was burned Dec. 14, 1843, and a larger one was erected soon after on the same site. John Craig, Sr., by his will, dated Sept. 5, 1836, and registered April 5, 1850, devised to John Craig, Jr., his second son, that part of this tract on which the latter then resided. This point was called Craigstown, and afterward Craigsville. The Craigsville post office was established there Nov. 29, 1869.
The will of Capt. John Craig (Will Book I, pages 406-407) bequeaths to his son Samuel Craig and Mary his (Samuel's) wife a parcel of land where they reside beside his (Samuel's) brother John, giving Samuel's children John Craig, Elizabeth Craig, Martha Craig, Margaret Craig, Mary Craig. "I give and bequeath to my grandson $100 . . . I give and bequeath to my son John Craig near or south of his brother James, it being the same where he now resides. . . . To my daughter Isabella where I now reside I give and bequeath to the children of my daughter Elizabeth viz.: Martha Clark, Isabella Clark, Jain Clark, Eliza Clark, equally between them. I give and bequeath to my daughter Martha all that tract land I bequeath to my daughter Isabella. I appoint my son John Craig sole executor," etc. There was a codicil dated 1839.
John Craig, Jr., like the members of his family generally was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was a stanch supporter of every good cause, and his name appears as one of the vice presidents chosen at the convention of the "Free Democracy of Armstrong County" held in the edifice of the Free Presbyterian Church of Worthington. The pastor, church members and congregation generally were antislavery in sentiment and did not hesitate to open the doors of their church to the political assemblages of the anti-slavery movement, though it was then unpopular with the great mass of the American people. The "Free Democracy" disclaimed association with any of the existing political parties and announced its approval of the then new movements, the freeing of the slaves and prohibition of the liquor traffic.
In his younger days Capt. John Craig had belonged to what was then called "the flying camp." He was taken prisoner by the Indians, and was confined in a guardhouse on an island sixty miles above Montreal, from which he was released after the surrender of Cornwallis. The Indians who captured Col. Archibald Lochry, Capt. Robert Orr and Samuel Craig were there (this refers to Lieut. Samuel Craig, brother of Capt. John Craig). At the time of his capture he was one of the party under Col. Archibald Lochry and Capt. Robert Orr taken by the Indians in 1781, while they were on their way to join Gen. George Rogers Clark.
1 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 409.
2 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 315.
3 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 684.
4 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 16, 23.
5 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 23.
6 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 316.
7 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 25.
8 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 408.
9 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. III (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 174.
10 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1082.
11 Thomas Lynch Montgomery, LL.D., Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Vol. 15 (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1924), Pg 178.
12 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 14.
13 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 15.
14 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 24.
15 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 685.
16 A. J. Davis, History of Clarion County, Pennsylvania (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., 1887), BP xii.
17 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 28.
18 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 32.
19 Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 34.
20
Jane Maria Craig, Samuel Craig, Senior, Pioneer to Western Pennsylvania, and His Descendants (Greensburg, PA: Privately printed, 1915), Pg 39.
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