John Craig (1815 - 1887)

Born 1815 in Langside Farm, Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Ancestors

Died 28 Aug 1887 at about age 72 in Langside, Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Biography

Event

Event:

Type: Lived at

Date: 1881

Place: Langside Farm, Beith, Ayr (census data)

Occupation

Occupation: Lime Master

Date: 1887

Occupation: Farmer of 33 acres arable

Date: 1881

Census

Census:

Date: 1881

Place: Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Census:

Date: 1841

Place: Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Census:

Date: 1851

Place: Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Census:

Date: 1861

Place: Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Census:

Date: 1871

Place: Beith, Ayr, Scotland

Note

The 1841 census finds John living with his parents and siblings at Langside, Beith, Ayrshire. John is listed as aged 20, occupation Limemaster, born in Ayrshire. Also listed are father William, 50 years old, occupation Agricultural Labourer; mother Janet "Mrs Craig", aged 50; brother Robert, Limeburner, aged 15; sister Janet, sower, aged 15; and brother David, Currier, aged 15. All the children are confirmed to be born in Ayrshire. Also on the census are John Lafferty, aged 20, servant, and John Lindsay, aged 15, servant.

The 1851 census lists John living with his parents and siblings at Langside, Beith, Ayrshire. John is listed as aged 34, occupation Limeburner, born in Beith, Ayrshire. Also listed are father William, aged 64, Limeburner; mother Janet, aged 66, occupation Limeburner wife, born in Abbey Parish, Renfrew; brother Robert, Limeburner, aged 28; sister Janet, Limeburner, aged 26; and brother David, Currier, aged 26. All the children are confirmed to be born in Beith. Also on the census are Malcolm McFarlane, Servant and Labourer, aged 40, born in Argyleshire, and Thomas Anderson, Servant and Labourer, aged 18, born Tyrone, Ireland. Only William and Janet are listed as married - the rest are single.

The 1861 census finds John still living at Langside, Beith, Ayrshire. John is listed as single, 46 years old, occupation "agent for limeburner", born in Beith. Also listed are father William, farmer of 40 acres and limeburner, aged 74, widowed; brother Robert, Labourer, aged 38; and sister Janet, housekeeper, aged 36. All the children are confirmed to be born in Beith. Also on the census are Robert Lane, servant and carter (ie transporter by cart), aged 22; Hugh Miller, servant and carter, aged 78; and Robert Sneddon, servant and "waggoner and railway", aged 78. All were born in Beith and all except William were single. The house had 3 rooms with windows.

The 1871 census finds John living with his father and siblings at Langside, Beith, Ayrshire. John is listed as aged 54, occupation Limeburner, born in Beith, Ayrshire. Also listed are father William, 81 years old, a widower, occupation Limeburner; brother Robert, Quarryman, aged 48; sister Janet, Housekeeper, aged 46. All the children are confirmed to be born in Beith. Also on the census are Thomas Bunker, servant and Carter, aged 19, born in Stevenson, Ayrshire; David Williamson, servant and Carrier, aged 22, born in Collassie, Fifeshire; and William Stewart, servant and Waggon Driver, aged 16, born in Luch, Wigtonshire. None of the household were married.

John is found living at Langside Farm in the 1881 census, aged 66 and unmarried, along with his unmarried brother Robert and unmarried sister Janet. His father, William, must have been dead by this time. All quite sad, really.

There is no sign of John in the 1891 census. Examination of the Scots Origins database shows that a John Craig died in Beith in 1887, aged 72. This ties in with his age at the time.

The following is from Elsie's husband George Craig's 1970 family history:

John was buried in the Head Street cemetery in Beith. This Cemetery and Church attached have been abandoned, but the Books and Records must be in existence some where in Beith. The graves of all the Craigs are not marked by head stones.

November 2001 - North Ayrshire Council Cemeteries Office confirm they have found grave records for Craigs, including John, in Plot 89 of the Old Head Street Churchyard, Beith.

November 2002 - finally received the Plot 89 records. John was interred on 1st September 1887, and is buried with his 2 brothers, sister, father, sister-in-law, and nephew Alex.

November 2001 - we now have a copy of John's death certificate, which confirms the following details:

- he remained a single man throughout his life

- his occupation was Farmer

- he died at 7am on August 28 1887, at Langside, Beith

- he was 72 years old (agrees with LDS records)

- his parents were William Craig - Farmer - deceased, and Janet Craig (nee King) - deceased

- he died following several years of "valvular disease of heart with enlargements", certified by W Sneddon, MD

- his brother Robert was with him when he died.

SRO confirm death of John Craig at age 72 in Beith Ayr, in 1887. This confirms death date and also birth date of 1815 +/- 1.

So to the birthdate - we have a number of possibles :

From 1881 census, he was born between 6 April 1814 and 5 April 1815

From death certificate, he was born between 29 Aug 1814 and 28 Aug 1815

His mothers death certificate has a wrong age on it (38 in 1855 - he should be 36) but makes no difference as it more or less ties in with the census time (Mar 29th).

So from the above, John was born between 29 August 1814 and 5 April 1815.

July 2003 - have found the inventory of John Craig's estate when he died. The inventory is pictured in the gallery, and reproduced electronically below. The inventory confirms that John was never married, had no children, was a Lime Master, left no will (died intestate), confirms the death date, and that he resided (indeed spent all his life) at Langside, Beith. He was also quite a rich man when he died - over £2400 when he died. The engineer Thomas Stevenson mentioned in the inventory was his nephew-in-law, married to Jen Craig. The inventory also confirms that John and his brother Robert ran the Langside Farm between them. It reads:

Inventory umquile John Craig

At Ayr the twelfth day of October Eighteen hundred and eighty seven years. Composed Andrew Stewart Writer in Beith, who produced Inventory of the Personal Estate of the deceased John Craig after designed, and of which Inventory the tenor follows.

Inventory of the Personal Estate, wheresoever situated of John Craig, late Lime Master, residing at Langside Beith, who died at Langside aforesaid on the twenty eighth day of August Eighteen hundred and eighty seven.

Scotland

Personal Property

1 Cash in the House £3 6s 0d

2 Household Furniture, farm stock crop, implements, and

other effects (half) in and about deceased's house, conform

to Appraisement £68 5s 0d

3 Money in Bank

(1) Interest receipt by the Commercial Bank of Scotland

limited at Beith dated 19th July 1887 for £300.

Interest to date of Oath to Inventory £1 9s 7d

(2) D. by D. dated 21 February 1887 £40

Interest to date of Oath to Inventory £0 9s 7d

(3) Interest receipt by the Clydesdale Bank Limited

Beith, dated 12 November 1886 for £200

Interest thereon to date of Oath to Inventory £4 1s 2d

(4) D. by D. dated 12 November 1886 for £40

Interest thereon to date of Oath to Inventory £1 12s 5d £627 12s 9d

4 Debts due to the deceased upon the following documents:

(1) Bond No. 283 of the Water Trust of Greenock for £800

Interest thereon from Whitsunday 1887 to date of

Oath to Inventory @ 3 ¾ per cent £12 4s 10d

(2) Bond No. 284 of the Water Trust of Greenock for £700

Interest thereon from Whitsunday 1887 to date of

Oath to Inventory @ 3 ¾ per cent £10 14s 4d

(3) Bond No. 10,099 by the Trustees of the Clyde

Navigation for £300

Interest thereon from Whitsunday 1887 to date of

Oath to Inventory @ 4 per cent £4 18s 0d

(4) Bill by Thomas Stevenson, Engineer, Kilmarnock in

favour of deceased dated 29 April 1885 £100

Interest thereon from 29 April 1887 to date of Oath to

Inventory @ 3 ½ per cent £1 11s 10d

Gross total amount of Personal Estate in Scotland £2628 12s 9d

(Signed) Robert Craig, Wm. Barr J.P.

Schedule of Debts due and owing from the deceased at the time of his death to persons resident in the United Kingdom and Funeral Expenses.

1 Debts

Sum borrow by deceased from Janet Craig

30th April 1874 £50

Interest thereon from 15 May 1887 @ 4 per cent £0 18s 0d

James Hendry, Grocer, Account £3 16s 6d

John Crawford, Clothier, Account £4 4s 0d

Samuel Kerr, Stationer, Account £0 10s 0d

W. R. Patrick, rent of Langside crop 1887, half £31 12s 9d

Sum due to Robert Craig as profits from farm of

Langside occupied by J & R Craig £98 10s 8d

£189 11s 11d

2 Funeral Expenses

Dr. Sneddon attendance £0 7s 6d

Shroud etc. £0 12s 6d

Robert Ferguson, coffin £3 15s 0d

William Wilson, hearse etc. £4 0s 0d

Grave Digger £0 15s 0d

Total amount of debts and funeral expenses £199 1s 11d

Abstract

Total amount of Personal Estate as per foregoing inventory £2628 12s 9d

Amount of debts and funeral expenses as per schedule £ 199 1s 11d

Net Value of Personal Estate chargeable with duty £2429 10s 10d

(Signed) Robert Craig, Wm. Barr J. P. At Beith on the eleventh day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty seven. In presence of William Barr of Dunlop House, Beith, Esquire, one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the county of Ayr. Appointed Robert Craig, Farmer, Langside, Beith, Executor of the deceased John Craig, late Lime Master at Langside, Beith, who being solemnly sworn and examined depones that the said John Craig died at Langside aforesaid upon the twenty eighth day of August Eighteen hundred and eighty seven, and that he never was married, and therefore left no widow or lawful issue. That the deponent has entered upon the possession and management of his Personal or moveable estate along with David Craig, Currier, Gateside, Beith, and Janet Craig, residing at Langside, Beith as Executors Dative qua nearest in kin. That the deponent knows of no Testimentary Settlement or other writing left by the deceased relative to the disposal of his Personal Estate or Effects or any part thereof. That the foregoing Inventory signed by the Deponent and the said Justice of the Peace as relative hereto, is a full and complete inventory of the Personal Estate and Effects of the said deceased John Craig wheresoever situated and belonging or due to him beneficially at the time of his death in so far as the same has come to the deponents knowledge. That the deponent does not know of any money or property belonging to the deceased secured by Scottish Bonds or other Investments excluding Executors. That the said deceased had no heritable Estate in this county in so far as known to the deponent. That the said deceased John Craig was due and owing at the time of his death to persons resident in the United Kingdom the debts onumerated in the foregoing schedule. That these debts are payable by law out of the estate and effects comprised in the foregoing Inventory are not nor any of the voluntary debts made payable on the death of the deceased, or voluntary debts payable under some Instrument delivered to the Donce thereof within three months before the death of the deceased, or debts which are primarily payable out of any real estate belonging to the deceased, or debts in respect whereof a reimbursement is capable of being reclaimed from any real estate of the deceased, or from any other estate or person whatsoever. That those debts with the funeral expenses of the said deceased as also shown in the said schedule amount to one hundred and ninety nine pounds one shilling and eleven pence. That the nett value at this date of the said Personal Estate and Effects situated in Scotland, excluding the proceeds accrued thereon down to this date, and after deducting the amount of the said debts and funeral expenses is Two thousand four hundred pounds sterling and does not exceed Two thousand five hundred pounds sterling. That confirmation of the said Personal Estate is required in favour of the deponent and the said David Craig and Janet Craig. All which is truth as the deponent shall answer to God.

(Signed) Robert Craig, Wm. Bain.

Written by Thomas Traill.

Collated by Robert Goudie.

Burial

Burial:

Date: 01 SEP 1887

Place: Plot 89, Old Head St. Cemetary, Beith

Sources