Eighth Generation

140. Rev. John Craig\Cragg Sr.^{537,820,821,822,823,824,825,826,827} was born about 1772 in USA, South Carolina. He was listed in the in USA, Tennessee, Giles Co. tax list in 1812⁸²⁸ Craig John 0547(alphabetical list)
0547 Craig John Crage? See 1809 Intruder Lists and 1810 Sims Petition

He appeared in the census in 1820.⁸²⁹ This is a possiblity? -
Tennessee, Smith Co
364, Craig, John 000101 02001
1 male 16-26
1 male 45+
2 females 10-16
1 female 45+
364, Craig, James 100010 40010
1 male under 10
1 male 26-45
4 females under 10
1 female 26-45
366, Craig, John Jun. 100010 10010
1 male under 10
1 male 26-45
1 female under 10
1 male 26-45 John signed a will in 1839 in USA, Alabama, DeKalb Co.. Sources:
Title: Craig, John - Will, 1839
Author: DeKalb Co. Alabama Will Record A
Repository:
Family History Center
Call Number: Film #1035188 - LDS
Media: Census
Page: pp. 5-7
He died in 1840 at the age of 68 in USA, Alabama, DeKalb Co. (prob.). " John Craig and his wife, Jane Miller, were born in South Carolina of Scotch ancestry, and were strict members of the old Scotch Presbyterian Church. After becoming acquainted with the Methodists they found that something more than the mere form of Godliness was necessary to Salvation, and after having sought and found "The pearl of great price", John was called to preach. About the year 1805 he went to Tennessee and was a member of the Holston Conference until his death in 1841. He devoted almost his entire time to his work as a travelling preacher.
When Jane died John married again in 1832 to Caroline Mary. He was then about sixty years old and his bride only twenty. Of this union were born one son, Isaac Easterling, and one daughter, Mary.
The old Scotch way of spelling Cragg (pronounced Craig) was followed by our South Carolina ancestry for many years - but the present mode (Craig) is, now almost universally used."
(Pauline Craig Hughes)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"After the Rev. Thomas Stillwell came the Rev. John CRAGG and the Rev. Alson J. Waters for 1821. The Rev. Alson J. Waters had just been received on trial in the Tennessee Conference, and was discontinued at the close of the year. The Rev. John Cragg was received on trial by the Western Conference at the close of the Conference year 1807. In due course he was admitted into full connection and ordained deacon and elder. For the year 1815 he was on Flint Circuit, and for 1821 on Shoal Circuit, so that two years of his ministry were given to Alabama. From 1825 till 1840 he was a member of the Holston Conference. He was thirty-three years an itinerant preacher and twenty-eight of these years he was effective. This was a long service and he filled many important appointments. He died in 1840." (West 137)

List of Preachers Names: Recv'd 1807 John Cragg (Bangs 6)
Journal of the Western Annual Conference, Chillecothe, Ohio State, September 14th 1807.
Cumberland District. 1st. John Cragg came properly recommended from the Quarterly Meeting Conference of Nashville Circuit, and was admitted on trial. (Sweet 125)
The appointments for 1807. Cumberland District. Hartford. John Cragg (Sweet 136)
The appointments for 1808. Cumberland District, Duck River - John Cragg (Sweet 151)
The appointments for 1809. Cumberland District, Hartford - John Cragg (Sweet 171)

The Bishop ... employed the Rev. John Craig, a local preacher. He was a pretty good preacher, a fine singer, and the Lord blessed his labors wonderfully. (M'Ferrin II 76)
He spoke of John Craig....throwing a hymn book in the lap of the son's wife of Mr. Mitchell, because of her inattention, which came near breaking up the meeting. (M'Ferrin II 118)
About 1808 or 1809 Methodism was planted in the county of Bedford. Bedford lies south of Rutherford and east of Maury, and is watered by Duck River. Until 1817, the area was doubtless included in the Duck River Circuit, as the counties of Rutherford and Maury are adjacent, both lying on the same river. The first Methodist Society, or church, was organized at Salem, about ten miles north from Shelbyville. (M'Ferrin II 137-8) John Craig was on the Duck River Circuit in the year 1809. (M'Ferrin II 122) In 1813 John Craig returned to the circuit [Duck River] (M'Ferrin II 123)
Nov. 1810 Cumberland District - ....Richland, John Craig....(M'Ferrin II 164)

Rev. John Craig went to preach in Pisgah in Giles Co., Tennessee in 1811 (Carden). This was frontier country then and the Methodist church was sending it's missionarys to help establish the church in the new settlements. The Methodists and Primitive Baptists also pioneered in Perry Co., Tennessee. Rev. John Craig, of the Methodist Church, was the first minister that preached in the county, beginning his labors in 1818-19. The leading religious denominations now in the county are the Methodists, Christians and Primitive Baptists.

Nov. 1812....The stations of the preachers in the Tennessee portion of the Conference were:
Nashville District - .... Duck River, John Craig....(M'Ferrin II 177)
May 1816 Nashville District - .... Elk River, John Craig.....(M'Ferrin II 411)
Cumberland District -- Dover Circuit in the Green River District, were in the state of Tennessee was appointed John Craig. (M'Ferrin II 460)
1833 Green River District - ....Dixon, John Craig... (M'Ferrin II 481)

...John Craig, ... He travelled in Kentucky three years, two of which - 1807 and 1809 - were on the Hartford circuit, and in 1818, on the Christian circuit. Subsequent to this period, his labors were chiefly in East Tennessee, where he occupied the most laborious fields until the Conference of 1836, when, unable longer to prosecute the labors of a pastor, he was placed on the superannuated list, where he remained until 1840, when he calmly entered upon his heavenly inheritance. His talents as a preacher were moderate; but, by his earnestness and faithful labors, he was successful in winning souls to Christ. (Redford 482)
abt 1806... John Craig was on the Hartford circuit, which embraced a portion of Hardin Co. KY (Redford 508)

Jane Miller and Rev. John Craig\Cragg Sr. were married about 1792.

141. Jane Miller⁸³⁰ died in 1819. She was born in USA, South Carolina. "Jane was a true helpmate and considered no sacrifice on her part too great if thereby through her husband's ministry, souls were won to Christ. She bore six children. Three died in infancy."

Jane probably came from a Miller family that resided in Lancaster, SC during 1790, as that is the location of John Craig's parents at that time. Geo Miller, Jno Miller are enumerated on the same page as Wm Cragg (John's father), and several other Miller families in the Lancaster area are on nearby pages.

Children were:

i.
Rev William Craig^228,831,832 was born before 1800.²²⁵ He is older than his brother John. He appeared in the census in 1850. William Craig age 62, b. abt 1788 bp SC
Rusk, Rusk, Texas He died in 1854 at the age of 54 in USA, Texas.²²⁸ William never married. "As his father devoted almost his entire time to his work as a travelling preacher, the care of the family devolved principally upon the oldest son, William. William never married and upon his baby brother, John Craig, he bestowed all the warmth of his loving, generous heart. He took great interest in the education of the younger brother, and being a good English scholar himself, assisted him in every possible way, also arranging for him to take a classical course. William went from Tennessee to Alabama about 1822 and later his brother John followed him there. They lived awhile near Nanofolia before going to Marengo County. William made his home with his younger brother John a good part of the time until John's death. He then went to Louisiana and finally to Texas where he resided with John's widow and her children until his death in 1854." (Pauline Craig Hughes)
William, the brother of John, founded with others the First Methodist Church In Tyler, Texas. (Steve Craig)
William Craig was one of 21 admitted on trial at the Methodist Church's twentieth Session of the Tennessee Conference held in Paris beginning 10 November 1831. William was an old man, but strong. He went to Texas, where as a pioneer, he did effective service for the Methodist Church (M'Ferrin 378)
A letter written by Rev. Wesley Smith describes his life of Methodism. In 1819 his father moved from Tennessee to Lauderdale county Alabama and settled on Blue-water Creek. Their rude cabin became a preaching place of the Methodist circuit riders. His early recollections are associated with preachers local and itinerent. Among the preachers most remembered he mentions John Craig. He didn't remember what became of him; "but when I reached Texas in the fall of 1851, the first Methodist preacher I met was a brother of our old Tennessee Craig. The Rev. William Craig, who has since died, lived near Henderson, Texas. He was a remarkable man in some respects. He was a terror to all dogs and evil-doers at a camp meeting. My father used to support a tent at a camp-ground, over in the edge of Lawrence County, Tennessee, known as Woolsey's Camp-ground ; and I well remember the terror I felt at seeing old Brother Craig passing to and fro, wielding his terrible shillalah after the dogs." (M'Ferrin 400)
ii.
Samuel Craig was born before 1800. He died in 1826 at the age of 26 in USA, Tennessee.²²⁸ Samuel, the second son, lived in Tennessee until his death which occurred in 1826. He left a wife and one son, John Henry Craig. His little girl died about two weeks before him. In 1839, John Henry was living in North Alabama. His post office was Florence, Alabama. John Henry was about five years older than his cousin Pauline Craig.
70
iii.
Dr. John Craig.