Craig Family    

The Craig family are descended from William Craig, of Stirlingshire, Scotland, who, to escape the persecution of the Presbyterians by James I, settled at Dungannon, Ireland. Four of his sons and several of his daughters emigrated to America. The sons were Thomas, Daniel, James, and William. Sarah Craig, one of the daughters, was born in 1706 and married Richard Walker, Esq., a prominent resident of Warrington township, Bucks county. She died April 24, 1784. Margaret Craig, another daughter, married John Gray, of the same place. She died in 1782, leaving two sons, John and James, and two daughters. Jane Craig, another daughter, married Thomas Boyd of Allen township, and had two sons, Robert and Thomas.

Daniel Craig, settled on a tract of 250 acres in Warrington township, Bucks County, where he died in June, 1776, having been totally blind for some years. His widow, Margaret, survived him, with eight children: Thomas; John; William; Margaret, wife of James Barclay; Sarah, wife of John Barnhill; Jane, wife of Samuel Barnhill; Mary Lewis; and Rebecca, wife of Hugh Stephenson. His son Thomas took a prominent part in the Revolution, was commissioned a captain, October 23, 1776, and commanded a company in Col. Baxter's "Flying Camp" in the battle of Fort Washington, November, 1776. He served throughout the war and at its close was Commissioner of Purchases with the rank of colonel. He married Jean Jamison. Sarah Craig, who married John Barnhill, survived her husband, who at his death in 1797, was a merchant at 42 North Third Street, Philadelphia. They had three children: Robert, Margaret, and Sarah.

Robert Barnhill, born in 1754, married Margaret Potts, daughter of John Potts, of Germantown. He succeeded to his father's business and died in 1814. His daughter, Margaret, married Cornelius Van Schaich Roosevelt, grandfather of President Theodore Roosevelt.

James Craig settled in the vicinity of the Presbyterian Church at Weaversville, where he purchased 250 acres from William Allen on June 13, 1743, and deeded the land for the church and graveyard to the Presbyterian congregation. He lived to an advanced age and although palsied, was always carried to church on Sundays by his sons. His wife died previous to April 16, 1774. He had sons: William, Thomas and Robert. William married Elizabeth Brown, sister of Gen. Robert Brown, and removed to Northumberland county, where he died March 19, 1810. Robert married Esther Brown and died March 19, 1818, leaving sons: James, Samuel, William, John, Robert and Joseph.

Thomas Craig, Esq., the founder of the "Irish Settlement" or "Craig's Settlement", purchased 212 acres adjoining his brother Daniel's land in Bucks County, which he conveyed in 1753 to James Barclay, who had married his niece, Margaret Craig. In 1728 he removed to Allen township, then a part of Bucks county, now Northampton county, where he was the leading citizen for many years and one of the first justices of the peace in 1752. In 1731 his name occurs as the first elder of the Presbyterian congregation of Allentown township, in the roll of the synod at Philadelphia. He lived on a tract of 500 acres purchased from Caspar Wistar, by deed dated March 28, 1739, and died in 1779 at an advanced age. His wife, Mary, died July 14, 1772, aged 75 years. He had sons: William and Thomas. William was the first sheriff of Northampton county in 1752, and had children: Thomas, Hugh, Charles, William, Mary, Sarah, Margaret, and Elizabeth. Thomas married Mary Wright and died in 1746.

General Thomas Craig, son of Thomas, was born Oct 26, 1739 . He was engaged in farming and at the out break of the Revolutionary War entered the army and rendered valuable service in the struggle for independence. He was commissioned, Jan 5, 1776, captain of a company in Colonel St. Clair's battalion, which saw strenuous service in the Canadian campaign. On Sept 7, 1776, he was promoted to Lieutenant Third Pennsylvania Regiment. He participated in the battles of Germantown, Monmouth and Brandywine, and, to use his won words, "served faithfully from the commencement of the late war to the end of it." It is said he was the first officer to protect the Continental Congress and the first to march to Canada. He retired Jan. 1, 1783. In 1784, he was appointed associate judge, clerk of courts and recorder of Montgomery county, which position he filled until 1789, when he removed to Towamensing township, now Carbon County.

In 1798, he was commissioned Major-General of the Militia of the state, which position he held until 1814. Colonel Craig was at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, and it was through him that Mrs. Lydia Darrach, conveyed to Washington that warning of Howe's expected attack at Whitemarsh, she having overheard the plans discussed by the British officers at her home. During the last years of his life he resided with a daughter, Mrs. Kramer, at Allentown, where he died, Jan 13, 1832, aged 92 years, and was buried with military and masonic honors. The procession marched to the cemetery to the funeral strains of the Bethlehem Band, the tolling of bells and the firing of minute guns. After the ceremonies were over, and the friends retired to the Lutheran Church, the Lehigh Artillerists fired four salutes over the grave and then marched to the church; where an impressive sermon was delivered by Rev. Joshua Yeager. His remains were subsequently re-interred in Fairview cemetery.

General Craig married Dorothy Breinig, who was born in 1778 and died Sept 1, 1846. She is buried at Lower Towamensing church. They had six children: Charles, Thomas, Eliza, Mary, Harriet and William.

Charles Craig, son of Gen. Thomas Craig, married Salome Beisel. Benjamin Craig, son of Charles, was born in 1822 and died Jan. 10, 1861. He was a merchant in Allentown and married Matilda Brobst, daughter of Jacob and Anna Maria (Knerr) Brobst. They had two children: 1. Charles J. of Allentown, who married Ellen Butz and had six children: Ralph; Harry; Bertha; Edward, who died in 1904; Charles and Robert; and 2. Mary Alice, who married James B. Roeder, and had two children: Frank C., who married Carolina Helwig; and Annie, who married Hector Tyndale Craig, of Lehigh Gap.

Thomas Craig, son of Thomas and Dorothy (Breinig) Craig, was born in Allentown in 1796. He attended the schools of his community, Wolfe's Academy and a school in the Irish settlement for a few months. For many years he conducted a hotel at Lehigh Gap, and also conducted general farming and lumber business. In 1828, he became captain of what was known as a troop of horse in the Pennsylvania militia.

Mr. Craig was married the first time to Miss Kuntz, who bore him two sons, Thomas and Samuel. His second wife was Catharine Hagenbuch, daughter of John Hagenbuch, then proprietor of a hotel at Lehighton. They were the parents of six children: Thomas, who represented his district four years in the house of representatives and three years in the senate; Eliza, wife of General Charles Heckman, an officer in the Mexican and Civil Wars; Allen, for many years judge of Carbon county; William, who move to Nebraska and Robert, a captain in the regular army at Washington. Mr. Craig died in 1858 and Mrs. Craig died in 1871.

Colonel John Craig, second son of Thomas and Catharine (Hagenbuch) Craig, was born in Lehigh Gap, Carbon county, Oct 23, 1831. After attending the common schools of his native place he attended the private school at Easton conducted by Rev. John Vandeveer. He was connected with his father in the lumber business and after his father's death, in 1858, he continued the business for some time.

When the Civil War broke out, he was one of the first to offer his services to his country, enlisting April 22, 1861, for three months. After the expiration of this term of enlistment, he re-enlisted and was commissioned captain of Company N. Twenty-eighth regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry. Among the battles in which he participated were those of Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold, Chattanooga and a number of other engagements. Returning to his home after the war he formed a partnership with his brother in the general mercantile business under the firm name of J. & W. Craig. In 1882, his brother, William, withdrew, from the firm and he conducted the business alone, adding coal, lumber and fertilizer to his business. In 1875 when the National Bank of Slatington was organized, he became one of the directors. In 1880 he became the president of the Carbon Metallic Company. He served his community faithfully for a number of years as school director and postmaster. From 1884 to 1886 he represented his district in the lower house of the state legislature. In the fall of 1866 Col. Craig was married to Emma Insley, daughter of Philip and Henrietta Insley, of near Bath. The following children were the issue of this union: Thomas; Charles P. Insley; H. Tyndale; Henrietta, wife of T. Griffith; Mary; Allen D.; and John D. deceased. Mr. Craig died in 1908. During the latter part of his life he lived retired.

Charles Craig, teller of the National Bank of Slatington, was born at Lehigh Gap, April 7, 1869. He was educated in the public schools of his home, the preparatory school at Easton and the Wyoming Seminary. He assisted his father in the mercantile business at Lehigh Gap until 1892 when he became connected with the National Bank of Slatington as Bookkeeper. This position he filled until 1902, when he was promoted to teller in the same institution. He is a member of Slatington Lodge, No 440, F & A. M. and Slatington Chapter, No 292, Royal Arch Masons. He is a member of the Sons of Veterans of Palmerton, which was named after his father, " Col. John Craig Camp. S. of V. No 47."

He was married in 1895, to Bertha Shirey, daughter of B. and Emma (Medlar) Shirey. They have three children: Emma, Thomas and John.

The first of the name Craig in this country emigrated about the close of the 17th century, and located in Philadelphia. Thence in 1728 Col. Thomas Craig moved to Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and settle in what was afterwards known as Craig's or Irish settlement.

The name of Col. Thomas Craig appears upon the roll of the Synod of Philadelphia for the first time in 1731, and by it we learn that he occupied the office of elder. As it was in the year 1731 that the Presbyterian Church was organized in the settlement, it may therefore be supposed that he was the original elder. His son, Thomas, was but a lad when his father came to this place. During his boyhood years he assisted in clearing the land and tilling the soil, and after attaining manhood, he engaged in farming for himself.

The next in line of descent was Thomas Craig, who was born in 1740. At the breaking out of the Pennamite War, in 1771, he was made a lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Militia, and his record was that of a gallant and faithful officer. At the opening of the Revolutionary War, he was an active champion of the Colonies, and on the 5th of January, 1776, was commissioned captain, being assigned to Col. St. Clair's Pennsylvania Battalion. After several engagements in the Canadian campaign, he was promoted to the rank of Major in September, 1776, and in the summer of the following year became colonel of the Third Pennsylvania Regiment. Under the command of General Washington he did good service in New Jersey, and subsequently took part in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

Mrs. Lydia Darrah, of Philadelphia, at whose house General Howe made his headquarters, secretly learned of the general's intended attack on Washington's Army, then in Camp at White Marsh, fourteen miles from the city, conveyed the information through Colonel Craig, so that the Colonial army was saved from a surprise and deadly attack. Colonel Craig remained with the army at Valley Forge and from that place, April 12, 1778, addressed a letter strongly appealing for clothing for the soldiers and showing their destitute condition in that respect. In the battle of Monmouth his regiment was conspicuous for gallantry and was in the thickest of the fight.

At the close of the war Colonel Craig returned to Northampton county, of which he was appointed lieutenant in July, 1783. In 1784, Montgomery county was formed from Philadelphia and he was appointed associate Judge clerk of the courts, and recorder, all of which positions he held in 1789. He then settled in the vicinity of Stemblersville, in Towamensing township, (at that time in Northampton, now in Carbon county) For several years he was major-general of the Seventh Division Pennsylvania Militia. His death occurred in 1832, at the age of ninety-two years.

Thomas Craig was first married to Miss Kuntz, by whom he had one son, Thomas. His second wife was Catherine, daughter of John Hagenbach, then proprietor of a hotel at Lehighton. They became the parents of six children, to whom they gave the benefit of wise home training and good educational advantages. Thomas, now deceased, represented his district four years in the House of Representative and three years in the Senate. Eliza is the wife of Gen. Charles Heckman, an officer in the Mexican and Civil Wars, now residing in Germantown, Pa. Hon. Allen Craig, for many years a leading attorney of Mauch Chunk is now serving as district judge. William resides in Nebraska. Robert is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and was captain of the regular army stationed at Washington, D. C.

History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families by Charles Rhoads Roberts, et.al, Allentown, 1914.More Lehigh County History Books  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com