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Notes for Thomas Craighead and Margaret Wallace

1691 Thomas Craighead received his MA from the University of Edinburgh on July 28. [1]

Privatim Laurea donati. 28 Julij. Thomas Craighead, Scoto-Hybernus.

1691 William Craighead, son of Thomas Craighead and Margaret Wallace, was baptized on December 3 in Edinburgh, Scotland. [2]

Thursday 3d Decembr 1691 Mr Thomas Craighead Student & Margaret Wallace a.s.n. William. W. Dr William Blacketer Doctor of Medicine, Mr James Young writer George Cant Ribbenweaver, Adam Blaketer and William Mosman merchts.

1693/4 On February 2, Thomas Craighead sued Margaret Cunningham concerning her obligation by contract of marriage to give him twice what she would bestow on any other of her nephews or nieces. [3]

1694. February 2. Thomas Craighead against Margaret Cunningham. Halcraig reported Mr Thomas Craighead against Margaret Cunningham.
By contract of marriage, she obliged herself to give him double of what she should bestow on any other of her nephews or nieces. And, for proving she had given a nephew 3000 merks, he produced a letter under her hand; and from thence concluded, that she might be decerned to pay him 6000 merks.
Alleged.—The letter was not probative, and was elicited from her by this very pursuer, to trepan her, &c. The Lords considered, that, among merchants, missives made great faith; but, in regard of the circumstances here, they would not sustain it per se probative; but allowed the pursuer, before answer, to adminiculate it, by proving the verity of the matter of fact averred in the letter, and the defender to prove the manner how it was procured from her, and what she designed by it. Vol. I. Page 601.

1694/95 Margaret Craighead, daughter of Thomas Craighead and Margaret Wallace, was baptized in Edinburgh, Scotland on February 7. [4]

Thursday 7th of Febr 1695 Mr Thomas Craighead Student of divintie & Margarett Wallace a.d.n. Margarett. W. Mr Samuel Haliday minister of ye Gospell, William Grant & Robert Grant writers born 25 Janr.

1696/97 Andrew Craighead, son of Thomas Craighead and Margaret Wallace, was baptized on January 22 in Cramond, seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland (located to the north-west of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth). [5]

1697 January:22. Friday. Andrew, son to Mr Thomas Craigehead Student of Theology, living at present in Whitehouse, and Margaret Wallace his spouse, witnesses Mr William Hamilton Minister of Cramond, Alex'r Howison of Braehead, William Howison fiar of Braehead, and James Potter in Upper Cramond.

1698 Thomas Craighead was licensed by the Laggan (Stabane) Presbytery in Ireland and ordained at Ballintra on July 6. He was appointed minister in Donegal and Castlederg. [6] [7] Lecky states, [8]

The most lengthened and minute account that we have of an ordination is that of Mr. Thos. Craghead, who was ordained at Ballintra, as minister of Donegal and the surrounding districts, on the 6th of July, 1698, which is as follows:--"Mr. Alexander preached at Mount Charles last Lord's day and served the edict of Mr. Craghead's ordination as he was appointed. The session being called and enquired if they do adhere to their call formerly given to Mr. Thos. Craghead, they answer that they do unanimously adhere to it; they are asked also had they resolved to settle their meeting-house; their answer was that they resolve to continue their meeting-houses as they are until next spring, viz.: one at Mount Charles, and another at Ballintra, and that they resolve if Mr. Craghead shall then find it convenient so to do to build one meeting-house in or near Donegall where the whole congregation may ordinarily attend. They promise also that they will take care to provide Mr. Craghead in a farm seasonably, and build necessary houses for him upon it, and that they will take care to perform whatever else they promised to the meeting for Mr. Craghead's encouragement among them. John M'Clure and Thos. Armstrong elders are sent to the congregation of Donegall now convened in the meeting house at Ballintra to give publicke intimation that the presbytrie resolves within a little to proceed to Mr. Thos. Craghead's ordination and requiring them that if any of them know anything to object against the same, they forthwith repair to the Preby. now sitting at Ballintra and give in their objections; these two return and give account that they did as they were appointed. The Presby. having waited a considerable time and none appearing resolve now to proceed to his ordination. The Presbytery appoint their next session after noon. Sess. II. After prayer sederunt qui supra, together with Mr. Thos. Craghead now ordained. This day Mr. Thos. Craghead was ordained and separated to the work of the ministry in the congregation of Donegall, etc., with fasting, prayer and imposition of hands, Mr. ffisher having lectured and Mr. Alexander preached and preceeded in the action according to appointment."

1726 In "Philadelphia, September 21, 1726. The Synod met by their delegates according to appointment. … Mr. Thomas Craighead was chosen moderator" of the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia. [9]

1733 The Craighead genealogy states, [10]

Mr. Craighead removed to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1733, and September 3d of the same year, united with Donegal Presbytery, when a call was placed in his hands from the Church at Pequea. This he accepted, and was installed pastor October 31st, Rev. Mr. Anderson presiding. The Presbytery in its minutes always speaks of him as "Father Craighead," either out of respect and veneration for his years, or frora a special affection for him. That he was respected for his talents and learning, and loved for his genial spirit and piety, there are abundant proofs. He was very active in planting and building up churches in the region. "His preaching was remarkably fervent, and often attended with revivals. His theology was strictly conformed to the Westminster Confession, for which he displayed a special attachment, and which he was the first to su scribe, both in New Castle and Donegal Presbyteries."

1736-1737 While At Pequa, Thomas Craighead debarred his wife from communion. [11]

While pastor at Pequea, in the spring of 1736, the session of the Church complained to the Presbytery because Mr. Craighead debarred his wife from the communion table. The matter was fully considered during its next session, and as there were no hopes of settling the difficulty, Presbytery in September judged it expedient to dissolve the pastoral relation. At the same meeting Mr. Craighead was appointed by the Presbytery to supply " the people of the Conodoguinet," by which was meant the congregation whose place of worship was at Meeting House Springs, from one to two miles northwest of Carlisle, in Cumberland County. After fulfilling this appointment, and a subsequent one at Hopewell, he received a call from the latter people, which he desired to accept; but as there were difficulties respecting "the boundaries" between this congregation and that of Pennsborough, action in the case was delayed. He, in the meantime, supplied the church at Hopewell, whose place of meeting was at "the Big Spring," now Newville.

The same difficulty which had interfered with his usefulness in his last charge followed him to Hopewell, and was again fully considered at two successive meetings of Presbytery. Both Mr. Craighead and his wife appeared before that body. The former finally consented that the session should allow his wife to come to the Lord's table; and the latter stated that "she had nothing to complain of against her husband except this single act, and that he had uniformly treated her with kindness." By this means the trouble was amicably settled— a trouble which probably arose from there being two families in the same house ; for the Presbytery, in consenting to withdraw all action in the case, instructed him that " his son John and family must no longer continue to live with him." Presbytery declaring itself satisfied with this settlement of the domestic difficulty, and the boundary between the congregations of Pennsborough and Hopewell being fixed, the latter renewed their call, which was accepted, Nov. 16th, 1737. The installation was ordered to take place "at some convenient time before the next stated meeting," and occurred October, 1738, his son, Rev. Alexander Craighead, conducting the services on the occasion.

1738 Margaret (Wallace) Craighead, aged 74, died and was buried in White Clay Creek graveyard. [12]

1738 Thomas Craighead was installed as the minister of Big Spring Church in Newville, Pennsylvania, on October 13 (the second Friday). [13]

August 31, 1738, Presbytery appointed Mr. Alexander Creaghead to install Mr. Thomas Creaghead the second Friday of October, and that he send an edict to be published timeously before.

1739 Thomas Craighead died in April. [14]

Mr. Craighead's pastorate at Newville, however, was of only a short duration. He was now far advanced in life, though his earnestness and power remained unabated. A descendant of his (Mr. Thomas Craighead, formerly of Whitehill, Pa.) states, that under his impassioned sermons not infrequently his audience would be melted to tears, and the emotions of his hearers became so intense that they were unwilling to disperse at the proper time. On one of these occasions, near the close of April, 1739, he became exhausted, and hastened to pronounce the benediction ; and waving his hand he exclaimed, "Farewell! farewell 1" and sank down and expired in the pulpit. His remains are said to have been placed under the corner-stone of the present house of worship at Newville.

1739 "At a meeting of the Synod at Philadelphia, May 23d, 1739. Ubi post sederunt, Ministers of the Donegall Presbytery … Absent … Mr Thomas Craighead. … Mr. Thomas Craighead removed by death since last synod." (The previous meeting was held May 24-30, 1738, and "Adjourned until the fourth Wednesday of May next.") [15]


Footnotes:

[1] A Catalogue of the Graduates in the Faculties of Arts, Divinity, and Law of the University of Edinburgh Since Its Foundation (Edinburgh: Neill and Company, 1858), 142, [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].

[2] National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers, Pre 1855 Births & Baptisms, 685/1 110 281 Edinburgh, p. 281 of 297, Edinburgh Parish Register, Births 1688-1692, [ScotlandsPeople].

[3] Mungo Ponton Brown, Supplement to the Dictionary of the decisions of the Court of Session, Vol. 4 (Edinburgh: W. & C. Tait, 1826), 137, [GoogleBooks].

[4] National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers, Pre 1855 Births & Baptisms, 685/1 120 211 Edinburgh, p, 211 of 286, Edinburgh Parish Register, Births 1692-1695, [ScotlandsPeople].

[5] National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers, Pre 1855 Births & Baptisms, 679/ 10 280 Cramond, p. 280 of 434, Cramond Parish Register, Births 1651-1719, [ScotlandsPeople].

[6] James McConnell and Samuel G. McConnell, Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church, 1613-1840 (Belfast: The Presbyterian Historical Society, 1951), 4:94.

[7] A. W. Godfrey Brown, "Craghead, Robert (c.1633–1711)," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition), in the artcle about his father Robert, which states that Thomas Craighead "became minister of Donegal and Ballyshannon in Ireland on July 6.", [Oxford_Dictionary_National_Biography], [OxfordDNB(UM)].

[8] Alexander G. Lecky, In the days of the Laggan Presbytery (Belfast: Davidson & McCormick, 1908), 16-17, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].

[9] Records of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America: embracing the minutes of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, from A.D. 1706 to 1716, minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia, from A.D. 1717 to 1758, minutes of the Synod of New York, from A.D. 1745 to 1758, minutes of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, from A.D. 1758 to 1788, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1841), 80, [HathiTrust].

[10] James Geddes Craighead, The Craighead Family: A Genealogical Memoir of the Descendants of Rev. Thomas and Margaret Craighead (Philadelphia, 1876), 37, [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].

[11] James Geddes Craighead, The Craighead Family: A Genealogical Memoir of the Descendants of Rev. Thomas and Margaret Craighead (Philadelphia, 1876), 37-38, [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].

[12] James Geddes Craighead, The Craighead Family: A Genealogical Memoir of the Descendants of Rev. Thomas and Margaret Craighead (Philadelphia, 1876), 41, [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].

[13] George Norcross, ed., The Centennial Memorial of the Presbytery of Carlisle, Vol. 1 (Harrisburg: Meyers Printing and Publishing House, 1889), 198, [HathiTrust].

[14] James Geddes Craighead, The Craighead Family: A Genealogical Memoir of the Descendants of Rev. Thomas and Margaret Craighead (Philadelphia, 1876), 39, [InternetArchive], [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].

[15] Records of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America: embracing the minutes of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, from A.D. 1706 to 1716, minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia, from A.D. 1717 to 1758, minutes of the Synod of New York, from A.D. 1745 to 1758, minutes of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, from A.D. 1758 to 1788, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1841), 141, [HathiTrust].