James Craig UEL (abt. 1755 - abt. 1799)

Born about 1755 in Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Anna (Blake) Orser — married Oct 1787 in Maugerville, Sunbury, New Brunswick

Descendants

Died about 9 Nov 1799 at about age 44 in Disappeared Near Hartland, New Brunswick

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Biography

James Craig UEL served with United Empire Loyalists during the American Revolution.

James Craig was born about 1755 at Newtown, Queens County, New York, and died October 1799 at Woodstock, New Brunswick, possibly killed by Indians^[1] — in December 1799 someone by the name of Crosbie gave evidence at an Inquest as a witness to James Craig's death, per Indian Affairs Records.^{[citation needed] [1]} Jacob McSheaffrey Craig, youngest son of James Craig and Mary (Blake) Craig Orser, told his family that James shot his rifle over the heads of the local Maliseet to scare them from taking off with his sheep and soon after this incident, James was "never seen again". The Maliseet camped out each summer on the island at Hartland, New Brunswick. James was 1 1/2 miles north of the Becaguimec,^[2] a stream located just north of Hartland where the stream meets the Saint John River. A Short History of the Orser Family says that James Craig “sickened and died.” It also states that Craig’s forefathers were of Scots descent but went from the north of Ireland to Massachusetts, then, as Loyalists, went to New Brunswick. An alternative date of death is sometime after February 14, 1803 when James Hamilton Lamb, in a land petition, says, "Craig is now settled in Penobscot.” [Maine]^[3] There were several James Craig's in Maine, none with the same birthdates. No one other than Lamb ever declared him as alive and well anywhere.

According to Sabine’s The American Loyalists, Or Biographical Sketches of Adherents to the British Crown in the War of the Revolution, James Craig lived in Oakham, Massachusetts at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. He was proscribed and banished, and went to Saint John, New Brunswick in 1782, and received a grant of land.^[4]

Stephen Davidson, UE, writes in The Comfortable (Loyalist) Pew : —

James Craig was a carpenter who lived in Oakham, Massachusetts at the beginning of the revolution. When settlements throughout the colony began to choose rebel delegates as their representatives in 1774, Craig “kept his town free from doing it.” He was “obliged to fly in the night on account of (the) mob and his life being threatened”. Rebels seized his 50-acre estate—including a barn and orchards—valued at £350. After fleeing Boston with other loyalists, Craig worked as a carpenter for the quartermaster general’s department. He eventually settled near Fredericton, New Brunswick with his wife Polly and their six children.^[5]

James Craig served in DeLancey’s Brigade during the Revolutionary War. Lt. Col. Stephen DeLancey's company enrolled Dan. McSheffrey, Peter Clark, James Craig, John McLaughlin and others of the Woodstock settlers.^[6] Craig left New York for Saint John, New Brunswick on the ship Sovereign with the 1st Battalion DeLancey’s Brigade, Fall Fleet, September 27, 1783.^[7]

Craig named one of his children, Daniel McSheaffrey Craig (1792-1874), in honour of his friend, fellow soldier and settler.

Sergeant Daniel M'Sheffrey

This hardy old veteran entered Lt.-Col. Stephen DeLancey's company at the beginning of the war and served through all its campaigns. He was a grantee of St. John and one of the pioneer settlers at Woodstock. He lived at first on his property below Bull's Creek, and for several years kept a tavern there for the entertainment of travellers, the place being a very good stand, being near the "old ferry landing." While there he filled positions as parish officer, such as overseer of the poor, etc. About the year 1806 he appears to have sold out to Aaron Putnam and removed to Northampton where he kept tavern for some years. He died January 4, 1823, at the age of 93 years.^[6]

James Craig married Mary “Polly” Ann Blake, October 1787, at Maugerville, New Brunswick, not far from Woodstock. Mary was the daughter of Capt. Blake and Charlotte Taylor. She was born 6 May 1772 at Portland Point, New Brunswick, and died 7 May 1856 at Hartland, New Brunswick.^[1] The year following their marriage they moved up river to the Woodstock area (Meductic Point land grant) in York County, and the baptisms of their six children at Woodstock—Nancy, Phebe, Daniel McS., Maria, Christopher and Jacob McS.—are recorded in the Woodstock Anglican Church records.^[8][9]

As originally surveyed, the Woodstock grant issued the 15th day of October, 1784 to De Lancey's men comprised 48 lots of 550 acres each, with the single exception of lot 22, which contained but 500 acres. James Craig is recorded as one of the three original owners of lot 5, receiving 100 of the 550 acres.^[10] James Craig’s name is also recorded at Meductic on a “Return of Settlers on the Block assigned the 1st Battalion DeLancey's under the direction of Captain Smith, August 4th 1785.”^[11]

Craig’s land included a part of the old Indian camping ground at Meductic point. He seems to have decided to leave that historic site to its original inhabitants, the Maliseets, but whether this was a matter of choice or of prudence is uncertain. Craig moved across the Saint John River from Woodstock to Northampton where his name occurs in the list of parish officers and also a licensed Tavern keeper.^[12]

The principal business centre at Northampton was built around the mills at Nacawick, but the upper part of the parish gradually filled up, especially as the roads were improved. When the Rev. John Beardsley came up the river in 1789 he called at the houses of many of the settlers in Northampton and baptized upwards of forty persons, (children and adults) in the families of Dr. John Larlee, James Craig, Wm. Guerrier, Peter Newton, Alexander Bate, Wm. McLaughlan, Anthony Manuel, Christopher Ferro, John Tompkins, Wm. Hudgins, Jacob Tompkins, Joseph Cunliffe and Richard Stears.^[13]

Children

The children of James and Mary Craig included:

1. Nancy Ann Craig Larlee (1789-1864)
2. Phebe Craig Bishop (born 1791)
3. Daniel McSheaffrey Craig (1792-1874)
4. Mariah Craig Hallett (born 1796)
5. Christopher William Craig (1798-1875)
6. Jacob McSheaffrey Craig (1800-1886)

Research Notes

Tradition says James Craig was born in the North of Ireland of Scottish descent, came to Saint John and married Mary Blake there. At about the same time his sister, Mary Craig, married William Orser, who also served in the Revolutionary War. Each of the two families had six children. Soon Mary (Craig) Orser died; and at about the same time (fall 1799) James Craig disappeared. Soon thereafter Mary (Blake) Craig married William Orser.^[8]

The tradition that James Craig disappeared, that he left his house one day and was never seen again, is opposed by a statement by James Hamilton Lamb, in a February 14, 1803 land petition, when he said, "Craig is now settled in Penobscot."^[3] He was referring to James Craig who owned lots on Becaguimec Island at Hartland, New Brunswick on which James Lamb held a mortgage.^[8]

If James Lamb knew where James Craig was, it seems likely others in Carleton County would have known also. Did James and his wife separate? Did James abscond to avoid debts? Does anyone know anything about a James Craig in Penobscot County, Maine, around 1800?^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Lackey, Patricia Ruth. CRAIG'S, NEILSON'S, HART's, DONALD's, HANNING's on Genealogy .com, 2008. Descendants of William Craig: JAMES9 CRAIG (CHRISTOPHER8, JACOBUS7, THEODORE6, THOMAS ANTHONY5, THOMAS ANTHONY4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, WILLIAM1) : accessed 7 Dec 2022
2. ↑ Turner, Daniel 1905-. Craig : a genealogy of the descendants of James and Mary (Blake). D. Turner, [Cranston, Rhode Island], ©1977.

   Summary: James Craig was probably born in the north of Ireland of Scots descent, and immigrated to Woodstock, New Brunswick in 1783/84, following service in the British army. He married Mary Blake about 1787/88. They had six children. He died ca. 1800. Descendants lived in New Brunswick, Ontario, Maine, and elsewhere.

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Index to Land Petitions: Original Series, 1783-1918 (RS108) Lamb, James Hamilton; Brown, William; Craig, James; Hugg, James; 1803, Carleton
4. ↑ Sabine, Lorenzo. The American Loyalists, Or Biographical Sketches of Adherents to the British Crown in the War of the Revolution. Charles C. Little and James Brown. Boston, 1847. Craig, James. pg. 233
5. ↑ United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada : Loyalist Trails 2016-25: June 19, 2016 Stephen Davidson, UE The Comfortable (Loyalist) Pew (Part 3 of 3) : accessed 7 Dec 2022
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) Something More About DeLancey's Men
7. ↑ United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada Loyalists evacuated from New York to New Brunswick
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Hayward, George H., February 20, 2011on Genealogy .com James Craig of Carleton Co. New Brunswick, Canada : accessed 7 Dec 2022
9. ↑ Anglican Church records for Carleton County, New Brunswick James & Polly Craig
10. ↑ Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) The First English Proprietors of the Parish of Woodstock: Lot 5, James Craig, 100 acres
11. ↑ Library and Archives Canada : Loyalists in the Maritimes — Ward Chipman Muster Master's Office, 1777–1785 James Craig
12. ↑ Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) The Woodstock Pioneers: Capt. Jacob Smith and Some of his Comrades in Arms
13. ↑ Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) The Old Parish of Northampton and Its Vicinity

• Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) Provincial Regiments: De Lancey's Brigade
• Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale) The Founding of Woodstock: The Pioneers Arrive at Meductic. — The Old Durham Boats. — Origin of the Name of "Woodstock." — The Grant to de Lancey's Battalions
• Descendants of James Craig by Wayne DeLong
• The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick show land grants John Craige year 1786 Charlotte Co F1030//James Craige year 1786 Charlotte Co F1031//Mary Crage year 1788 Carleton Co. F1034//
• Ancestors of EastMill and their references Craigs in New Brunswick : accessed 7 Dec 2022