Individual Details

"John Craig and his wife, Jane Miller, were born in South Carolina of Scotch ancestry, and were strict members of the old Scotch Presbyterian Church. After becoming acquainted with the Methodists they found that something more than the mere form of Godliness was necessary to Salvation, and after having sought and found "The pearl of great price", John was called to preach. About the year 1805 he went to Tennessee and was a member of the Holston Conference until his death in 1841. He devoted almost his entire time to his work as a travelling preacher.
When Jane died John married again in 1832 to Caroline Mary. He was then about sixty years old and his bride only twenty. Of this union were born one son, Isaac Easterling, and one daughter, Mary.
The old Scotch way of spelling Cragg (pronounced Craig) was followed by our South Carolina ancestry for many years - but the present mode (Craig) is, now almost universally used."
(Pauline Craig Hughes)
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"After the Rev. Thomas Stillwell came the Rev. John CRAGG and the Rev. Alson J. Waters for 1821. The Rev. Alson J. Waters had just been received on trial in the Tennessee Conference, and was discontinued at the close of the year. The Rev. John Cragg was received on trial by the Western Conference at the close of the Conference year 1807. In due course he was admitted into full connection and ordained deacon and elder. For the year 1815 he was on Flint Circuit, and for 1821 on Shoal Circuit, so that two years of his ministry were given to Alabama. From 1825 till 1840 he was a member of the Holston Conference. He was thirty-three years an itinerant preacher and twenty-eight of these years he was effective. This was a long service and he filled many important appointments. He died in 1840." (West 137)

List of Preachers Names: Recv'd 1807 John Cragg (Bangs 6)
Journal of the Western Annual Conference, Chillecothe, Ohio State, September 14th 1807.
Cumberland District. 1st. John Cragg came properly recommended from the Quarterly Meeting Conference of Nashville Circuit, and was admitted on trial. (Sweet 125)
The appointments for 1807. Cumberland District. Hartford. John Cragg (Sweet 136)
The appointments for 1808. Cumberland District, Duck River - John Cragg (Sweet 151)
The appointments for 1809. Cumberland District, Hartford - John Cragg (Sweet 171)

The Bishop ... employed the Rev. John Craig, a local preacher. He was a pretty good preacher, a fine singer, and the Lord blessed his labors wonderfully. (M'Ferrin II 76)
He spoke of John Craig....throwing a hymn book in the lap of the son's wife of Mr. Mitchell, because of her inattention, which came near breaking up the meeting. (M'Ferrin II 118)
About 1808 or 1809 Methodism was planted in the county of Bedford. Bedford lies south of Rutherford and east of Maury, and is watered by Duck River. Until 1817, the area was doubtless included in the Duck River Circuit, as the counties of Rutherford and Maury are adjacent, both lying on the same river. The first Methodist Society, or church, was organized at Salem, about ten miles north from Shelbyville. (M'Ferrin II 137-8) John Craig was on the Duck River Circuit in the year 1809. (M'Ferrin II 122) In 1813 John Craig returned to the circuit [Duck River] (M'Ferrin II 123)
Nov. 1810 Cumberland District - ....Richland, John Craig....(M'Ferrin II 164)

Rev. John Craig went to preach in Pisgah in Giles Co., Tennessee in 1811 (Carden). This was frontier country then and the Methodist church was sending it's missionaries to help establish the church in the new settlements. The Methodists and Primitive Baptists also pioneered in Perry Co., Tennessee. Rev. John Craig, of the Methodist Church, was the first minister that preached in the county, beginning his labors in 1818-19. The leading religious denominations now in the county are the Methodists, Christians and Primitive Baptists.

Nov. 1812....The stations of the preachers in the Tennessee portion of the Conference were:
Nashville District - .... Duck River, John Craig....(M'Ferrin II 177)
May 1816 Nashville District - .... Elk River, John Craig.....(M'Ferrin II 411)
Cumberland District -- Dover Circuit in the Green River District, were in the state of Tennessee was appointed John Craig. (M'Ferrin II 460)
1833 Green River District - ....Dixon, John Craig... (M'Ferrin II 481)

...John Craig, ... He travelled in Kentucky three years, two of which - 1807 and 1809 - were on the Hartford circuit, and in 1818, on the Christian circuit. Subsequent to this period, his labors were chiefly in East Tennessee, where he occupied the most laborious fields until the Conference of 1836, when, unable longer to prosecute the labors of a pastor, he was placed on the superannuated list, where he remained until 1840, when he calmly entered upon his heavenly inheritance. His talents as a preacher were moderate; but, by his earnestness and faithful labors, he was successful in winning souls to Christ. (Redford 482)
abt 1806... John Craig was on the Hartford circuit, which embraced a portion of Hardin Co. KY (Redford 508)

Birth	Abt 1772	South Carolina, United States
Marriage	Abt 1792	Jane Miller
Tax List	1812	Giles, Tennessee, United States
Census	1820
Marriage	1832	Caroline Mary
Will	1839	DeKalb, Alabama, United States
Death	1840	probably, DeKalb, Alabama, United States

Spouse	Jane Miller ( - 1819)
Child	Rev William Craig (1800 - 1854)
Child	Samuel Craig (1800 - 1826)
Child	Dr. John Craig (1801 - 1841)

Spouse	Caroline Mary (1812 - )
Child	Isaac Easterling Craig (1832 - 1893)
Child	Mary Craig (1832 - )

Father	William Cragg \ Craig (1736 - 1820)
Mother	Martha (1741 - 1833)
Sibling	Sarah Craig (1760 - )
Sibling	Jane Craig (1760 - )
Sibling	Nellie Craig (1760 - )
Sibling	Mary "Polly" Craig (1760 - )
Sibling	Elizabeth Craig (1767 - 1823)
Sibling	Rev. William Craig (1785 - 1865)

Notes