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 1802 - 1869 (~ 67 years)
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| Name |
Craig, William |
| Born |
Abt. 1802 |
Preston Pans, East Lothian, Scotland  [1] |
| Christened |
23 Dec 1802 |
Preston Pans, East Lothian, Scotland |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
2 Jan 1869 |
Warwick, Queensland, Australia [2] |
| Person ID |
I00783 |
My Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
29 Apr 2015 |
| Father |
Craig, Thomas, b. 3 May 1777, Saltoun, East Lothian, Scotland , d. 1819, Tolhills, Dalkeith, Scotland (Age 41 years) |
| Mother |
Hunter, Jean, c. 26 Apr 1776, Ormiston, East Lothian, Scotland , d. 1851-1855, India Place, Edinburgh, Scotland (Age ~ 78 years) |
| Married |
Abt 1798 |
Scotland |
| Family ID |
F00355 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Falla, Isabella, c. 1 May 1802, Dunse, Berkwickshire, Scotland , d. 26 Aug 1869, Warwick, Queensland, Australia (Age ~ 67 years) |
| Married |
31 Dec 1827 |
St Georges, Edinburgh, Scotland [3] |
| Children |
| + | 1. Craig, Thomas, c. 16 Jun 1829, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland , d. 12 May 1889, Warwick, Queensland, Australia (Age ~ 59 years) |
| | 2. Craig, William, c. 4 May 1831, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland , d. Bef 1837, Scotland (Age ~ 5 years) |
| + | 3. Craig, James, c. 26 May 1833, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland , d. 8 Oct 1920, Warwick, Queensland, Australia (Age ~ 87 years) |
| | 4. Craig, Helen Falla, c. 1 Jul 1835, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland , d. 1835, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| | 5. Craig, John Dunmore Lang, b. Sept 1837, Aboard "Portland" on voyage to Australia , d. Abt 1837, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| | 6. Craig, Isabella, b. 1838, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia , d. 1838, Dungog, New South Wales, Australia (Age 0 years) [Natural] |
| | 7. Craig, William Akin, b. 18 May 1839, Dungog, New South Wales, Australia , d. 24 Feb 1857, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia (Age 17 years) |
| + | 8. Craig, Robert John Lee, b. 25 Feb 1841, Dungog, New South Wales, Australia , d. 16 Aug 1906, Campbell's Plain, via Warwick, Queensland, Australia (Age 65 years) |
| + | 9. Craig, Edward Stanton, b. 18 Oct 1843, Denbie, Hunter District, New South Wales, Australia , d. 5 Jan 1903, Warwick, Queensland, Australia (Age 59 years) |
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| Family ID |
F00350 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Baptised 09.01.1803, Parish of Prestonpans, County of Haddington. Scotland. Witness Thomas Craig and John Robertson. (A relation to his future wife? A relation ot his grandmothers??
Edinburgh Marriages Microfilm
Edinburgh 31.12.1827 "William Craig joiner in 121 Rose Street, St. George's Parish and Isabella Falla in 128 Rose Street same parish were three times proclaimed and no objections made."(Marriage implied but no date given)
William listed as joiner
Arrived Australia per "Portland" 03.12.1837. Left Greenock England 31.7.1837. Described as a wheelwright.
Settled in Dungog, NSW where William operated a wheelwright and blacksmith business.
Purchased land at Warwick, 05.09.1855, Section 16 and 37.
The Craig-Jackson Connection.
The Craig-Jackson connection occured in Warwick in 1865 when Robert John Lee Craig, aged 24 years, married Annie Jackson, aged 17 years.
Robert was the fourth son of William Craig and Isabell nee Falla. William was born in Preston Pans, near Edinburgh, Scotland in 1802. It is possible that Isabella was a cousin to William as both their mothers maiden names are Hunter -s ths correct Robertson?.
William and Isabella married in Eduinburgh in 1827 and at least two sons, Thomas, born in 1830 and James, born in 1834, were born in Scotland. Possibly another son William, was also born there. One child, John, was also born on the journey to Australia. This child appears to have died while young.
William and Isabella were brought to Australia as workers by Dr. Lang and arrived here aboard the S.S.Portland on the 3rd of December, 1837. William, who was described as a millwright, and his wife a farm servant, were described as "state of bodily health, strength and probable usefulness: very good and likely to be useful".
The family settled in Dungog in New South Wales for approximately ten years where they raised and bred cattle. Two other sons were born here, Robert, born in 1841 and Edward, born in 1843.
It appears William Craig was looking for possibilities away from Dungog for sometime in 1847 he rode 800 kilometres to the north and onto the Darling Downs. Here he met Mr. Fred Bracker who was manager at Rosenthal Station at this time. William obtained a job as the station blacksmith but before he took up the position he rode back to Dungog where he mustered his cattle for sale and then organised the transportation of his family and goods to the Darling Downs. Isabella and her five sons, Thomas, William, James, Robert and Edward travelled in a bullock dray with a driver named Michael Devericks. William drove his horses to Rosenthal, including the first draught mare ever seen on the Southern Darling Downs. The family then settled on Rosenthal Creek about one kilometre from the head station.
At this stage Rosenthal and Canning Downs were the principal centres of population but there was no school. Consequently George Leslie gave one of his station huts for this purpose. One of William Craig's first jobs on Rosenthal was to rebuild and refurbish the hut to an exceptable standard for school students. This school was built on Rosenthal(Deuchar's) Creek about mid-way between the tws stations, which each had approximately ten children of school age.
Shortly after there arrival the Craig family witnessed the departure, on 12th March, 1848, of Dr. Leichart and his party.
Towards the end of that same year, John Deuchar, late of Glengallan, took charge of Rosenthal for the Aberdeen Company. Deuchar supposedly asked all the families to quit the station except the Craigs who were allowed to remain as long as they wished. Most of the other families settled near-by at Hudson"s Hill, now East Warwick.
During 1848-49 William and his son James built the first police station and the first lock-up. The family was also involved in erecting the original wooden Church of England.
In 1853 Craig and his family moved to Hudson's Hill to establish the first blacksmiths shop at a site near Warwicks present day railway station. Here they specialized in industrial bullock drays, wagon wheels and general smithing.
As no hotel existed at the time the blacksmiths shop became the focal point for residents to gather and trade district news and gossip.
In mid and late 1857 William Craig purchased more land in Victoria Street and here he began his new business employing his sons Thomas and Robert. Believing in the future of Warwick, Craig played an active part, in 1861, in the forming of the first Municipal Council, in which he was elected as an alderman. At this time he also acted as the town banker and with W. Spreadborough he formed the Eastern Downs Society.
William and Isabella moved to the Warwick Reserve, where they both died in 1869.
The blacksmiths shop was eventually sold but most of the Craig's remained in Warwick except his son William who had left in the 1850's to set up a shop in Ipswich. He was accidently killed in 1857 while cleaning a customers pistol.
Robert John Lee Craig, who was born in Dungog, and had attended the Deuchar Creek School and later the National School at Harris, left school at fourteen to work in his fathers blacksmith shop.
As a young man Robert had a keen interest in horse and cattle and his brand R.C.5 was apparently most respected. His other passion was horse racing and Robert often rode at the course, winning many times on Ben Bob and Black Bess. These early interests eventually led him to become Clerk of the Course and a cattle steward for the EDH&A Association.
On the 28th March 1865, at the house of his father, Robert married Annie Jackson, daughter of George and Mary-Anne Jackson of Essex. Annie, who was born in Clavering, Essex on the 8th December, 1848 had migrated to Australia aboard the "Jessie Munn" with the majority of her brothers and sisters. The ship had left Plymouth on the 26th October,1861 and arrived in Australia on the 11th of February, 1862.
Robert had relinquished blacksmithing in the early 1860's and had selected land on Freestone Road, Campbell's Plain. "Clavering" the family home was built here. Craig also had grazing land at Cunningham's Gap, known as "Strathmillar". At Clavering Robert and Annie raised a large family; Arthur, Robert, Annie, Emily, Jessie, Edith, Gertrude Jane, Charles and Hubert George.
(Sources for the above include, "An Early History of Warwick and the Darling Downs" by Hall and various newspaper articles and obituraries.)
Inquest- William Craig
"Sir,
I have the honour to present the depositions taken at the Inquest held before me touching the sudden death of Mr. William Craig resided at the Warwich Reserve. I have the honour to be Sir, Your most able servant, The Honourable, Tho. Albany Samuel. To ...Sinclair.
Isabela Craig on oath swears as follows: I am the wife of the late William Craig whose remains are lying here- Last week my husband was in Warwick - On Thursday morning last he came home to the farm. He said on Saturday he would be better if he got a little sleep.
I often saw him worse than he was on that occassion. He went to bed about half past ten on Saturday night - soon after I went to bed and he was talking incoherently. I then heard him draw a large breath and I called his nephew Thomas Wilson, but the old man never spoke or moved again.
Taken and sworn before me this 4thJanuary, 1869. Signed Isabel Craig.
Thomas Wilson on oath swears as follows: I am a farmer on the reserve in partnership with the late William Craig who was my uncle. About the end of last week my Uncle now lying dead complained of pain in the chest but he was not so ill as to be confined to bed. He was in Warwick for a week and had been drinking. The Saturday he was a little affected with the horrors. He was out and in very much as usual and ate his food very well. About 11 0'clock at night - he was in bed apparantly asleep and he gave one tremendous sigh. Mrs Craig called to me that there was something wrong. I went in to the room and lifted his head and he only breathed twice and then expired. Some time ago he complained of heart disease and the doctor gave him something for it. He used to say he would die very suddenly. He was 68 years of age and was a native of Scotland.
Taken and Sworn before me this 4th Day of January, 1869. Thomas Wilson
The Warwick Argus January 6th. 1869.
We regret to record the death of an old and respected townsman, Mr. William Craig, of the Warwick Agricultural Reserve, who died at his residence on Saturday night last, at the mature age of 68.
Mr. Craig was among the earliest settlers in Warwick, having established a Blacksmiths and Wheelwrights business here more than 20 years ago - a business which has been conducted from that time with considerable success up to the time of his death either by himself or some members of his family.
Along with being a 1st class mechanic, Mr. Craig possessed those sterling qualities which won for him the gentelity of his townsmen. When Warwick first became a municipality, he was by the unanimous voices of the ratepayers, chosen as one of their alderman, an office which he held for some years with credit to himself, and to the benefit of his favourite town.
His remains which were interred in the Warwick cemetary on last Monday evening were followed to their last resting place by a large assemblage of people anxious to pay that last tribute of respect to his memory.
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| Sources |
- [S00137] Preston Pans Scotland Old Parochial Registers.
- [S00134] Queensland Australia Death Certificate.
- [S00143] Edinburgh Scotland Old Parochial Regisers.
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