Archibald Craig Esq (abt. 1678 - 1751)

Born about 6 Mar 1678 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Millar) Reed — married 1700 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 6 Mar 1751 at about age 73 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey

Biography

Archibald Craig Esq was born in Scotland.

Archibald Craig Esq migrated from Scotland, United Kingdom to New Jersey, United States.

Archibald Craig was born in 1678 in Scotland. He was the son of John and Ursula Craig.

Archibald migrated from Leith, Midlothian, Scotland to East New Jersey, in the United States, in 1685.^[1][2] Travelling with him were his parents John & Ursula Craig. At some point before 1701, Archibald married Mary Miller. He fathered Margaret, Ursula, Sarah, Mary, Kate, Elizabeth, William, Samuel, John, Hannah, and William in Monmouth, New Jersey.^[3]

Archibald's name is found in several Monmouth, New Jersey records, regarding his fellow townsmen. He is one on a long list of mortgagors when the estate of John Bowne was inventoried in 1714.^[4] The following year he is listed as having received payment from the estate of William Lang in Monmouth.^[4] In 1724 he is on a long list of mortgagors owing money to Lawrence van Hook, deceased.^[5]

Archibald was said to be a prominent man in the church.^[6] In 1727 Archibald was the Quasi Trustee of the church.^[6] In 1730 Archibald, as one of the Elders and Representatives of the church, voted with others to build "with all the Speed possible" a Meeting House on White Hill.^[6] The Meeting House was not finished until 1734; however Archibald Craig's pew can be seen on the 1730 drawing of the layout.^[7] After the Meeting House was completed, Archibald was one on the committee to purchase a permanent home for it's Minister.^[6]

Archibald Craig, Esq, died the 6th of March 1751, aged seventy-three years.^[6][8][9] He was laid to rest at the Old Scots Burial Ground in Monmouth, New Jersey.^[8][10] His record states that he was called "Captain Craig."^[8][9] Archibald's wife Mary died the following year, on November 1st, at the age of sixty-nine.^[6][9]

Family

Husband: Archibald Craig

Wife: Mary

Children:

1. Ursula (Craig) Forman b 1701^[11]
2. Sarah (Craig) Anderson b 1705^[12]
3. Mary (Craig) Gordon b 1706^[13]
4. Samuel Craig b 1708, d 17 Nov 1746^[14]
5. Elizabeth (Craig) Gordon b 1711^[15]
6. Margaret (Craig) Ker b 28 May 1712
7. Hannah (Craig) Crawford b 1713, d 21 Jan 1775^[16]
8. John Craig b 1720?^[17][18]
9. William Craig b 1725?,^[19] d 1726^[20]
10. William Craig b 1727?^[21]
11. Catherine "Kate" (Craig) Lloyd b 23 Jan 1727?^[22]

Death & Legacy

Will: 25 Feb 1751

Proven: 24 Apr 1751

Place: Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey

Lists wife Mary, and the following children: John, William, Ursula Forman, widow, Sarah wife of John Anderson, Hannah wife of William Crawford, Mary wife of Peter Gordon, Catherine wife of John Loyd, Elizabeth wife of John Gordon.

Research Notes

• Archibald is said to have been born in Perth, Scotland. The only birth for an Archibald Craig in Scotland during that time (on FindMyPast$) is for an Archibald born in Inveresk with Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. That Archibald was the son of John & Rebecca (Brodie) Craig, baptised 9 Oct 1768. On the SAR app his parents are listed as John & Ursula Craig. I'm not sure what they used as proof. It may have been the 1685 migration record.

• Unless Archibald is a Junior, the 1685 migration record is not his, or the migration year is indexed wrong. Archibald was listed as the primary emigrant, but would have been seven-years-old. The migration in 1685 is actually for John Craig,who migrated with his wife Ursula, daughter Ursula, son Archibald, and son James. There is another record, for 1700, that would make him twenty-two. If he was the primary emigrant, this is more probable. If he was the son of John and Ursula, he could have migrated in 1685. Update: Reading the actual page in Dobson, Archibald Craig emigrated in 1685 with his parents John and Ursula.

• To Do:
  • Look in the Deed book for land or other documents.
  • Check Estate and other books for Monmouth in NJ Probate (find pre-1785 records)

• Note: Many of the early records are available on microfilm or book form in the LDS Family History Center only.

• Joshua Nichols, an English servant (indentured man), ran away from Archibald Craig of Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey. He was said to be of 'middle stature, fair complexion, with his hair off it is of a light color, says he was born in London, speaks very plain, a stocking wearer by trade.' As advertised in The American Weekly Mercury June 27, 1728 and The American Weekly February 18, 1729.^[23]

Sources

1. ↑ Dobson, David. Directory of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625-1825 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. Vol. 2. 1984), 216. Note: Abstracted from the Edinburgh "Register of Deeds," 1750-1825.
2. ↑ Dobson, David. The Original Scots Colonists of Early America Supplement: 1607-1707 (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998), 185.
3. ↑ Directory of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625-1825 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. Vol. 5. 1985), 312. Note: Abstracted from the Edinburgh "Register of Deeds," 1750-1825. 1685 Migration.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Nelson, William. Calendar of New Jersey Wills Vol. I 1670-1730 (Paterson, NJ: Press Printing, 1901), 52, 279, 478.
5. ↑ State of New Jersey. Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey Vol XXIII, (Paterson, NJ: The Press Printing and Publishing Co, 1901), p. 478 (Img 569 of 753).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Symmes, Frank Rosebrook. History of the Old Tennent Church: With Biographical Sketches of Its Pastors (Columbia: J. S. Yard, 1897), 19, 21, 48, 105,134.
7. ↑ Symmes p 22-23
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Old Scots Burial Ground on Wikipedia.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} "Genealogy and Local History", The Matawan Journal, January 5, 1939, Page 2.
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 16 February 2021), memorial page for Archibald Craig (1678–6 Mar 1751), Find A Grave: Memorial #9187233, citing Old Scots Cemetery, Wickatunk, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA ; Maintained by Kat (contributor 19409629) .
11. ↑ Source: #DAU Ursula
12. ↑ Source: #DAU Sarah
13. ↑ Source: #DAU Mary
14. ↑ Source: #SON Saml
15. ↑ Source: #DAU Eliz
16. ↑ Source: #DAU Hannah
17. ↑ Source: #SON John
18. ↑ Source: #SON John 2
19. ↑ Source: #SON Wm 1
20. ↑ Source: #SON Wm 2
21. ↑ Source: #SON Wm 3
22. ↑ Source: #DAU Cath
23. ↑ Marrin, Richard B. Runaways of Colonial New Jersey: Indentured Servants, Slaves, Deserters (Boston: Heritage Books, 2007), p. .

See Also:

• Nelson, William. Calendar of New Jersey wills, administrations, etc (Newark, NJ: Newark N.J., 1901), np. This book appears to be in the era of Archibald's children.

• Tennent, New Jersey on Wikipedia.

• Old Tennent Cemetery on Wikipedia.

• Record of deeds, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Grantor A-E 1667-1856.

• Record of deeds, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Grantee A-E 1667-1891.

• DAU Ursula "U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900," Ancestry (US Marriage Records : accessed 17 December 2017), entry for Orsilla Craig; citing Ancestry collection - This database contains marriage record information for approximately 1,400,000 individuals from across all 50 United States and 32 different countries around the world between 1560 and 1900. TEXT Name: Orsilla Craig, Gender: Female, Spouse: Aaron Forman. NOTE: Please replace this if an actual source is found.

• DAU Sarah Homer, William S. This Old Monmouth of Ours (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1999), 113. Originally Published in NJ in 1932.

• DAU Mary "New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (New Jersey, Marriages : accessed 17 December 2017), Peter Gordon and Mary Craig, 13 Dec 1742; citing , , New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 888,704.

• DAU ElizFind A Grave: Memorial #124832035 Elizabeth Craig Gordon

• DAU Cath "New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (New Jersey Marriages : accessed 17 December 2017), John Lloyd and Catherine Craig, 10 Aug 1745; citing , , New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 540,682.

• SON SamlFind A Grave: Memorial #9187243 Samuel Craig

• SON JohnFind A Grave: Memorial #14388042 John Craig

• SON John 2 "New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (New Jersey, Marriages : accessed 17 December 2017), John Craig and Anne Barclay, 21 Nov 1749; citing , , New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 888,702.

• DAU HannahFind A Grave: Memorial #10794823 Hannah Craig Crawford

• SON Wm 1 Smith, Henry Goodwin. The history of the "Old Scots" Church of Freehold... (Freehold, NJ: Transcript Printing House, 1895), app iii.

• SON Wm 2Find A Grave: Memorial #9187251 William Craig

• SON Wm 3 "New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (New Jersey, Marriages : accessed 17 December 2017), William Craig and Ellinner Rhe, 28 May 1753; citing , , New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 888,702.