The Origins of the Surname Craig
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.