Chistor Trails Baltinc'c County Historical Society
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cHistor Trails Baltinc'c County Historical Society Agriculture Building 9811 Van Buren Lane Cockeysville, Md. 21030 Editors: JOHN W. McGRAIN and WILLIAM HOLLIFIELD VOL. 20 AUTUMN 1985 NO. 1 The Cradock Tradition of Service by Joyce Layman For 215 years the five generations of the Cradock family devoted themselves to defining the ever changing needs of their community and then channeling their time, talent, and energy into serving those needs. This unbroken family tradition began when the Reverend Thomas Cradock came from England to settle in Baltimore County, Maryland, and became the first rector of the newly established St. Thomas' Parish in 1745. It did not end until the last member of the fifth generation died in 1960. All lived in the family home called "Trentham." The Cradocks served the community now known as Owings Mills, Garrison, and Pikesville in the fields of religion, medicine, education, farming, and social work and gave military service in time of war. As with most families there were disappointments and set- Woodcut of Trentham published in Scharf s 1881 county history. backs, but someone always came forward to carry the flag. One Many of the outbuildings survived construction of the Queen Anne even had his children's name changed by an act of the Maryland Village Apartments. legislature so that the Cradock name and traditions would con- tinue, and continue they did. Many older local residents still those who would erect watermills, in the hope that flour could be remember Katie Cradock, one of the last and most colorful of the used for export. 2 Cradocks, who saw to the needs of the community in her own way The area known as Garrison Forest appealed to some because for most of her 90 years. of a series of forts from which rangers patrolled the frontier as a The Reverend Thomas Cradock was the first Cradock in protection against Indians. This protection encouraged families of America and was well respected because of his work as first rector the early settlers to move into the forest. 3 An old Indian trail of St. Thomas' Parish. Thomas was baptized on November 8, 1718, known as the "Conewago Road" was cut through from Baltimore to in Staffordshire, England, near Newcastle. As a youth, he studied at Hanover, Pennsylvania, in 1737. By 1809 it would be known as the the Trentham Free School run by the Trentham Parish. He matricu- Reister's Town Turnpike after John Reister who settled Reisters- lated at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1737, and was ordained to town in 1758. 4 the deaconate in 1741. From 1741 to 1743, he served as Master at Trentham. By 1744 he had obtained a license to become a minister Fort Garrison (built in 1695 and still standing), a dirt road, lots in Maryland. Arriving the same year, he had no permanent position of promising farm land, watermill grants, and streams for millraces until a chance meeting with the Reverend Benedict Bourdillon of offered enough encouragement for some, and so they came to try St. Paul's Church in Baltimore led to his assignment as rector of St. to make a living from something besides farming tobacco. One of Thomas' Parish just northwest of Baltimore in the Garrison the earliest to purchase land in the Garrison Forest area was Forest. ' Samuel Owings (1702-1775). He owned a saw- and gristmill and This area had very few people during Maryland's first century was active in politics. He also contributed to the establishment of when the colony depended on the tobacco crop for its livelihood. St. Thomas' Parish and was an active member there. 5 Most people lived in the tidewater area and used boats for trans- His son, Samuel Owings, Jr., was born in 1733 and built a portation. As the soil wore out and the market became glutted, the cooper's shop and at least three mills ( ca. 1755) that became the colonists were encouraged to spread out and try wheat farming economic base of the town that was named for him. A large land and milling. The 1669 Maryland legislature made grants of land to owner, he acquired nearly 14,000 acres in Baltimore and sur- PAGE 2 HISTORY TRAILS AUTUMN 1985 rounding counties and was active in politics, the military, and St. London in 1754 and Annapolis in 1756. It was also noted that he Thomas' Parish. The home he built for his wife and 12 children still wrote some "bucolic, Augustan, and humorous poetry." " 6 This prosperous and energetic stands as a popular restaurant. During the five years before he died at age 51, he was crippled gentleman set a challenging example to those around him. by paralysis. Even though he had to be carried and had to dictate A short distance away, John Reister and others were doing his sermons, he continued his activities until his death on May 7, similar things for the towns and roads that would bear their names. 1770. His parishioners arranged to have a broadside printed to As all of these small villages grew, Reisterstown Road became a honor his memory. It described him as a "sincere Christian, a main artery for transporting flour and other goods to the port of polished scholar, an elegant and persuasive preacher, a tender Baltimore. parent, and an affectionate husband" in addition to praising his Thomas Cradock's arrival in Maryland in 1744 coincided work. " Certainly this dedicated and capable gentleman made a perfectly with the burst of activity that culminated in the establish- valuable contribution to the religious and educational needs of a ment of the town of Owings Mills. St. Thomas', sometimes called new community It is interesting to note that by the time of his the Garrison Church, had just been "authorized by an act of the death Mr. Cradock's salary was four times its original size because assembly of 1742 as a 'chapel of ease' for the forest inhabitants of St. of the increase in population. Paul's Parish (Baltimore)." ' Of the four children in the second generation, the oldest son, Delighted to be granted their own frontier church so close by, Arthur, predeceased his father by a year. He was only 22 years old the area's residents bought land and built their church. With letters and studying for the ministry at the time of his death. The youngest of induction from Governor Thomas Bladen authorizing him to child, Ann, married Charles Walker in 1772, and a son born to them become the minister, Thomas Cradock was inducted as the first married a cousin and became a prominent member of the third rector of the new church on February 4, 1745, at age 26. 8 He generation of Cradocks. 16 stayed until his death 25 years later. The Cradocks' other two sons, John and Thomas, both be- Mr. Cradock apparently made the most of his new position came doctors, although their early training was for the ministry. A and tried to anticipate the needs of the new community. He was medical doctor, Randle Hulse, had come to live at Trentham, and devoted to religion and his ministerial and civic duties as well as to the boys became fascintated with his work He is described as a the King of England. His sermons were carefully prepared on unique character who "practiced every branch of surgery, physick, favorite subjects such as the Bible, morals, evils, and politics. One and midwifery at an expense much under the customary hundred of his sermons are preserved in the Maryland Diocesan charges." '7 As there were very few medical schools, the Cradock Archives and are considered a valuable contribution to colonial sons were taught by Dr. Hulse and began their medical careers in literature. 9 1768 at ages 16 and 19. 18 Thomas Cradock married Katherine Risteau on March 31, The brothers reached the prime of life during the Revolution- 1746. She was the daughter of High Sheriff John Risteau, a French ary War period. As the new and independent country emerged and Huguenot refugee who commanded soldiers at Fort Garrison. He England's control faded, it was a time of change and growth and gave the couple a 170-acre tract of land as a wedding gift. They new opportunities in many fields such as the army, politics, and built a house and named the estate "Trentham" after the parish and medicine. A troublesome epidemic of smallpox and the medical school in England. '° Not only were Thomas and Katherine's four needs of the war provided much of the incentive for developing children born at Trentham, but their grandchildren, great- and organizing the medical profession at this time, and the grandchildren, and great great-grandchildren were born there too. brothers saw great opportunities for putting their medical training Mr. Cradock's salary was determined by a tax of 40 pounds of to good use. The community, the military, and organizations to tobacco on all white males and servants over 16 years of age in the promote medical knowledge all benefited from the service and parish. Since this amounted to only $325 per year, he decided to guidance the Cradock brothers gave. The medical profession thus run a boarding school at Trentham to supplement his income. The offered them a better outlet for service than did following their 1747 Maryland Gazette noted that he took young men into his father's footsteps into the ministry. home, taught them Latin and Greek, and furnished board at 20 Dr. John Cradock, second oldest son of the Reverend Mr. pounds Maryland currency, or about $53.20 in our dollars, per Cradock was born in 1749 and died in 1794.