Cragun Family
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Patrick 2, Caleb 1 CRAGUN FAMILY Jean C. Tombaugh TOMBAUGH HOUSE 700 Pontiac Street Rochester, Indiana 46975 1990 This book cannot be reproduced without the express permission of Jean C. Tombaugh, her heirs or assigns. Made in the United States of America. Patrick 2, Caleb 1 CRAGAN CRAGGEN CRAGIN CRAGON CRAGUN CRAIGEN (An Introduction to the Family of Cragun) Tradition in the family of Jean (Cragun) Tombaugh, tells that our ancestor was originally of Scotland and the name was McCRAGUN. Also, that Caleb Cragun moved from England to Ireland where he married and had children, one of whom was a son PATRICK, who came to America about the time of the Revolutionary War.1, 2. So, right or wrong, we will begin with the Craguns of Scotland. "CRAIGEN - Local. In 1272 the church of Cragyn (now Craigie) in Kyle was confirmed to the Monks of Paisley by THOMAS de CRAGYN son and heir of JOHN HOSE, who had assumed his surname from his lands (RMP., p.232). He may be the THOMAS de CREGEYN del counte de ARC who rendered homage in 1296 (Bain 11, p.206). ADE CRAGYNE who held a tenement of Irvine 1477 (Irvine, 1, p.149) most probably derived his name from the same source. A family of this name in New Pitsligo village were remarkable for their longevity. (AEI., p.47) CHRISTAIN CRAIGANE was liferenter of Readfurd, 1630 (LIM., p.110) PATRICK CRAIGEN in Burnebray of Gorthie, 1670 (Dunblane) and ROBERT CRAIGIN in the Parish of Sumbennan, 1716 (SCM., IV, p.171). WM CRAIGEN was a member of the Huntley Volunteers, 1798 (Well p.19) (a history of the volunteer movement in Strathbogie from 1798-1808) and JOHN W. CRAIGEN from King Edward served in the first Great War (Turriff) of Craigie.3 ___________________ LETTER. Written by Charles Hartwell Cragun, A.M.M.D., 16 Feb 1862, at Georgetown, D.C. Copy made by Ella M. Cragun wife of Edmund Cragun, in 1935, and made available to Jean Cragun Tombaugh (Rochester, Ind.) by Eva Cragun Heiner of Salt Lake City, in August 1964.4 "Tradition in all branches of this family points to Scotland as the original home of its head. In my father's family it was handed down by him that three brothers had originally come to this country, one of them settled in Maine, one went to the south and the third settled at Acton, Mass. I have always had a curiosity to learn our early and true history and on a visit north in 1857, I visited my cousin FRANCIS KIMBALL CRAGIN, who resides in Woburn, Mass., and there saw the result of his investigation, which was a very complete genealogy of his branch of the family from its founder, the original and only JOHN CRAGIN, who had settled and died in that town just about two centuries ago. Availing myself of his labors, I proceeded to enlarge upon the facts thus gathered, and, by writing to every possible source of information, I have been enabled to form with a few exceptions, a complete genealogy of every descendant of this original John Cragin. "These results show that the family originated in the south of Scotland where JOHN was born about 1634. When about 16 he was pressed into the services of Charles who was terribly defeated by Cromwell in the battle of Dunbar, 5 Sept 1650, where he (John) was captured, and exported in the year 1652 as a prisoner of war with 270 other prisoners in the ship "John & Sarah," Capt. John Green, Master (see Vol.1, No.4, for Oct.1847, of the New England Historical & Gen. Register, for the list of the passengers, where his name appears as "JOHN CRAGON"), arrived at Charleston, Mass., (their?) labor was sold to defray expenses, they working three days for their masters to pay for their houses and land and money expended for them, and the other three days for themselves. Tradition says that JOHN was attacked with 'smallpox' on board ship, and would have been thrown overboard but for the earnest interference of an English woman named SARAH DAWES, who thus saved his life, and to whom he was afterwards married. "There are a few CRAGINS in the city of New York, who are not his descendants, but have come recently from the north of Ireland and they write me that their ancestors came originally into Ireland from the south of Scotland. They are Protestants. "Furthermore, there is an old Virginia family now in Hampshire Co., but originally from Hardy Co., who spell their name CRAIGEN, and whose ancestors originated in Scotland, but left there about a century later than John. Very probably all these sprang from the same neighborhood in Scotland. "The following letter from the present head of this Virginia family will be read with interest. It is very curious that he speaks of his grandfather fighting loyally for Charles, being captured and sent to this country about the same time that JOHN CRAGIN settled in Acton. The writer's son is a young physician in Washington and has decided Cragin features. In this 11 Ellen Cragun, dau. of Elmer E. Cragun, of Kingman, Kans., as told to Jean Cragun Tombaugh. 2 Eva Cragun Heiner, Patrick Cragun Descendants in America 1744-1969, ...., published 1969. 3 Black, The Surnames of Scotland, p.179. 4 N.E. Historic Genealogical Society, Gashburton Place, Boston, Mass., from "Cragin Genealogy". letter, MR. JACOB J. CRAIGEN speaks of ROBERT CRAIGEN, his grandfather, who had but two children, ROBERT and JOHN. John Craigen his father, was for some years High Sheriff of Hardy Co., and had but two sons, JACOB L. and GEORGE SEE (Craigen). The latter had no sons, left on a tour to Ohio and other western states about 1825, and never returned, being probably dead. Mr. Jacob J. Craigen has two sons, Dr. WM. J. of Washington City, and JOHN, a younger brother at home. Besides these two sons he has, I think, six daughters. 'Green Spring Run, Hampshire Co., Va. 'Dr. C. H. Cragin: 'Dear Sir: I received yours of the 7th inst., and am compelled to say my knowledge of my father's connections is very small. My grandfather died before I was born, and my father before I was old enough to take any interest in the matter. My mother said my grandfather was taken in some battle fighting (I judge for Charles Edward of Scotland, styled by English History as the Pretender) and sent to America. He first settled in Maryland, somewhere on or near the Patuxent, afterwards moved to Winchester, in Virginia. His name was ROBERT, he left several brothers in Scotland, and I think he was not aware of any of them ever coming to this country. My mother also said he had a large number of letters he had received from his friends, which he and also my father kept carefully locked in a chest. But sometime after my father's death, when she went to show them to me, they were gone, and I believe they were never heard of after. ROBERT CRAIGEN had but two children, ROBERT, his eldest who died without issue, and JOHN who was my father. You will see he came to this country near a century after Cromwell's time.' "With these exceptions all of the Cragins in this country are descendants of the John Cragin who settled in Woburn, Mass. about 200 years ago, and there lived and died. "Generally at the North the name is pronounced with the 'a' as in Crag and the 'g' hard as in the same word as if written Crag- in. The Virginia family spell and pronounce the name softer as in Craigen. By the advice of an old Scotch Schoolmaster in Mendon, Mass., the Branch of the family in that neighborhood were induced to spell the name CRAGGIN, as is still incorrectly done by some there. For myself I prefer the softer pronounciation. "JOHN (Cragin) had but one son to bear his name and that son died at the age of 26 leaving his family to the guardianship of a Mr. BARKER. His son, JOHN, the grandson of the first JOHN, married JUDITH dau. of his guardian, and settled on a farm about a quarter of a mile south of the middle of Acton. There he had a large family of sons and daughters; when about 1766, they mostly removed to Temple, N.H., where they were among its first settlers, and from which place as a center most of the younger branches have emmigrated. This third John had an only brother who went south from Acton and settled in Mendon, Mass., and became the center of another branch of the family, who still reside mostly in that neighborhood. Before the removal to Temple, N.H. one son of the third John, named JOSEPH, had married and removed with two of his sisters (also married), to Maine, on the Kennibeck river. Here we have probably the foundation of the tradition above alluded to of three brothers, one settling in Maine, one going South, and one settling in Acton, Mass. "In a very interesting letter from Miss HATTIE B. DINGLEY, the grand-daughter of ABIGAIL NEWELL, who is still living, and is herself the grand-daughter of JOSEPH CRAGIN, I received the following incidental information. Grandmother Newell related an incident connected with the origin of the name Cragin, which I will write you, although you may be aware of it. DOROTHY (Joseph's sister) gave it to her years ago: 'After a thirty years war in Scotland the Irish took posession permitting any of the Scotch to remain that would join their party, and many, rather than desert their cattle and lands, remained and intermarried with the Irish nobility.