The name "Craig" is not an
uncommon name in Scotland, and throughout the world where Scots
have settled. It has been an appellation applied to families
from the earliest days. In Scottish Gaelic, "craig" means
"rock." Throughout Scotland, many forts and defensible
positions were built on the massive rock outcroppings on both
the shoreline and the interior of the country. The surname
"Craig" is, by extension, applied to the people living in these
fortifications and its environs. As a surname, it is of local
origin and seems to have originated independently in more than
one locality.
As the Scots migrated around
the world, this name came with them. Today there are Craigs
living in the UK, Ireland, North America, Australia and New
Zealand. But where ever they live, Craigs have their roots deep
in Scottish history.
In the fifteenth century
there were three families "of that Ilk". The name was also
common in Edinburgh in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuies and
elsewhere throughout the Lowlands.
Johannes del Crag (John of
the Craig) witnessed a charter by William the Lion in Glasgow.
In 1232, a Robert de Crag was the Canon of Glasgow. Robertus de
Crag (Robert of Craig) witnessed charters in the reign of
Alexander II.
In 1296, fealty was sworn to
Edward I of England by Johan de Cragyn of the county of
Linlithgow. Johan Craig of the same shire and Agneys del Crage
(Agnes of the Craig) of Edinburghshire and Johan del Cragge
(John of the Craig) of Lanarkshire rendered homage also, in
1296.
In 1317, in Aberdeenshire, we
find Bryce de Craig (Bruce of Craig) as Burgess of
Aberdeen.
The land of James del Crag
(James of the Craig), son of John del Crag (John of the Craig)
in Ayrshire is mentioned in 1323.
Alexander de Cragy was
forfeited in 1334, and pardoned the following
year.
In 1335, John of the Craig
led his famous "band of 300" to support Robert the Bruce, King
of Scotland, in the raising of the seige of Kildrummie Castle
at the Battle of Dunblean. Historians agree that this John
Craig was the Steward of Kildrummie Castle and two and a half
centuries later the family of this name was seated in
Craigfintray (later Craigston) Castle, not far from Kildrummie.
The Craigs of Riccarton (near Edinburgh) are sprung from the
Craigs of Craigston.
Johannes de Crag (John of
Craig), burgess of Aberdeen, had a charter of land in the
Lordship of Rubyslaw in 1358. William de Crag was elected
councillor of Aberdeen, 1398.
In 1442, the Lawman of Orkney
and others grant an attestation in favour of James of Cragy,
dominus de Hupe (Lord of Hupe), husband of Margaret Sinclair,
the daughter of Henry, Earl of Orkney. Several families in
Orkney,probably descended from this marriage, were seated at
Brugh, Banko, Skaill, Weaton, etc. John was Lawman (sheriff) in
1497. George represented the county in parliament in
1652.
William Craig of Craigfintray
, County Aberdeen, was killed at the Battle of Flodden in Sept
1513. William was the father of the Rev John Craig (1512-1600),
famous Churchman and religious reformer, colleague of John Knox
and a founder of the Church of Scotland.
In 1613, David Craig in House
of Garth (in Atholl) was fined for sheltering members of the
Clan MacGregor.
Sir Thomas Craig, advocate,
the great feudal lawyer acquired the estate of Riccarton and
died in 1608. In the latter part of his life, he acted as
advocate for the Church of Scotland. Sir Thomas' writings on
Scottish law are still in use to this day.
Sir James Craig, one of the
sons of Sir Thomas, went to England in 1603, had grants of
reversion of the clerkship of the Wardrobe and of the office of
assistant clerk in the King's Great Wardrobe and in 1611 was
granted a manor in Ulster and also, the manor of the Castle
Craig.
William Craig, Lord Craig
(1745-1813) was a Scottish Judge and the son of William Craig,
minister of Glasgow.
Northern Ireland can be seen,
on the occasional clear and sunny day, from the southwest coast
of Scotland. Commerce between the two was common from the
earliest times. After the foundation of the Church of Scotland,
political dissent occurred over the power of the king and civil
authorities over the rights of the church. This led to the
beginning of the Presbyterian movement: many of these religious
dissenters fled to Northern Ireland, and its freer religious
atmosphere. Religious and civil war soon reached Ireland,
bringing more Scots to live in the north. During the early
1600's, many Scots emigrated to Northern Ireland during the
"Plantation of Ulster." Several counties in the north became
enclaves of Scots who moved to Northern Ireland for land and
opportunity. After the restoration of the Stewart dynasty, the
Covenanters fought with the (by this time thoroughly
anglicised) King. Scotland was a garrison of English troops,
and many Scots fled to both Northern Ireland, and the Americas.
Those Scots living in Ireland who emigrated to the Americas
were called the Scotch-Irish.
The term "Scotch-Irish" does
not refer, as many think, to the descendants of a marriage
between a Scotsman and an Irishwoman (or vice versa). Rather,
it is a title applied to those from Scotland who left their
homeland because of religious and political persecution and
settled in Ireland. Many afterwards left their adopted land
and, for the same reasons, moved to the Americas. Most of these
people moved from the relatively settled seaboard areas into
the wilderness, where they could build settlements centered
around their respective religious and political
persuasions.
After the Americas were no
longer available as havens for "undesirables," Australia became
the new home of these stalwart dissenters. Many Scots and Irish
were shipped to Australia as, first, criminals (many times
political prisoners), and later as settlers.
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