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The Scottish Nation
Craigie


CRAIGIE – Additional to the notices of families of this surname given earlier.

In Orkney there was a family of Craigie from an early period. The first of whom any notice has been found in James of Craigy, dominus de Hupe, who married a daughter of Henry Sinclair, earl of Orkney. He is supposed to have accompanied that noble to Orkney, when he received an investiture of the earldom from the king of Denmark, in 1379, and was probably a son of John de Craigie and Margaret de Mondofe. Of that marriage, besides a daughter, there were at least 2 sons. Of date 1367-8, there is a safe conduct granted by Edward III. to various Scottish men, and among these is John de Craigy, armigere de Scot. He was one of the barons present at the coronation of Robert II. at Scone, March 27, 1371. In the 2d year of that reign there is a charter in his favour of the lands of Kyledeleth, and a grant by the same king to his beloved and faithful John de Craigy pro fideli servicio nobis impenso et impendendo, of 40 merks sterling yearly to him and his heirs from us and our heirs to be heritably secured, &c. This John de Craigy had an only daughter, Margaret, domina de Craigie, heiress of Craigie and Braidwood, who married Sir John Stewart, ancestor of the Stewarts of Craigiehall.

The family of Craigie soon acquired property and great influence in Orkney, many of the name filling the important office of Law-man in that county. The Craigies of Burgh in Rousay were the principal family of the name till the beginning of the 17th century, when it ended in co-heiresses. The representation devolved on the Craigies of Gausay and Pabdale, and, on their failure in an heiress, on the Craigies of Saviskail in Rousay, the last of whom married a sister of Balfour of Trenabie, grandfather of David Balfour, Esq. of Balfour and Trenabie.

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The ancient family of Craigie of Kilgraston, in the parish of Dumbarnie, Perthshire, were descended, according to family tradition, from James of Craigy above named, and had emigrated from Orkney at an early period. Several members of the family have held important legal appointments. Lawrence Craigie of Kilgraston, eldest son of Lawrence Craigie of Kilgraston, by his wife, Katherine Colville, daughter of Hon. William Colville, brother of Robert, Lord Colville of Ochiltree, admitted advocate in 1712, was made a baron of exchequer in 1747. He married Ann, daughter of Drummond of Megginch, Perthshire. His eldest son, John Craigie of Kilgraston, advocate, married his cousin, Anne, daughter of President Craigie, and had several children.

His eldest son, Lawrence Craigie of Kilgraston, was called to the bar in 1773. He sold Kilgraston in 1784, and died in 1818.

The 2d son, Robert Craigie, became a lord of session in 1811, under the title of Lord Craigie, He died, unmarried, in 1834.

The third son, John Craigie, Esq., was, for several years, commissary-general of Lower Canada. He married Susan Coffin, widow of James Grant, Esq., and had a numerous family. Their eldest son, John Craigie, Esq., advocate, sheriff-substitute of Roxburghshire, is the representative of the Craigies of Kilgraston.

Their 2d son, Rear-admiral Robert Craigie, born in 1800, entered the royal navy as a volunteer at eleven years of age, and after serving on the coast of Africa, the West Indies, the Cape of Good Hope, the South American and the East India stations, and participating in the capture of the Unites States sloop-or-war Syren by H.M.S. Medway in 1814, the cutting out of a Sardinian brig by the boats of the Naiad, from under the fire of the batteries of Bona, and, in company with H.M.S. Cameleon, in the capture of an Algerine brig in 1824, and various other services, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in January 1823, and to that of commander in September 1828.

After obtaining his commander rank, Captain Craigie devoted the next three years to study in the Royal Naval college and at the university of Edinburgh, and the addition which he made at this period to his general and scientific information, proved of great service to him in the performance of the various civil as well as strictly professional duties that afterwards devolved upon him.

In December 1835 he was appointed to the command of H.M.S. Scout, for service on the coast of Africa, and on two occasions during his service on that station, he had charge, for periods of 9 and 11 months respectively, of the squadron on the West coast. In March 1837, his duties as senior officer called him into the river Bonny, for the purpose of supporting British mercantile interests; and, under circumstances of a very critical character, he rendered services which met with the “entire approbation” of the commander-in-chief, the admiralty, and the foreign office. In the year 1838, Captain Graigie again ascended the Bonny, with the ratification by H.M. government of a treaty which, on his previous visit, he had effected between himself, as the representative of Great Britain, and King Peppel, the chief of that kingdom. Total abolition of slave exportation, which previously had amounted to 20,000 slaves annually, was one of the results of this important treaty, -- a fact which was prominently alluded to by Lord Brougham, when presenting in 1860, to the House of peers, a petition from the Anti-Slavery society, in favour of King Peppel.

On his arrival in England, he was rewarded with a post-commission, dated Nov. 7, 1839. From 1847 to 1852, he was employed in directing the Relief operations in Shetland, acting during the first two years as resident inspector, and during the last two as inspector-general. In 1849 the very important co-operative arrangement for the construction of the great lines of roads in Shetland was placed under his charge. In the minutes of the committee of management of the Edinburgh section of the Central Board for the relief of Highland destitution, it is stated that “till the end of 1850, he had the advantage of the presence of Captain Webb. R.E., as government officer, under whom a staff of sappers and miners was placed. During the last year Captain Webb was withdrawn, and Captain Craigie most handsomely undertook his arduous duties, in addition to his no less responsible and difficult position. The committee are satisfied that all who have had an opportunity of judging of the character of Capt. Craigie’s services will agree with them in thinking that his local administration of Shetland has been most successful and beneficial to the inhabitants, and that this result is mainly to be attributed to the ability, good feeling, admirable judgment, and sound discretion which Captain Craigie has shown in the execution of his arduous and delicate duties.” In December 1858, Captain Craigie received directions to enroll and organize the 5th division of the Royal naval coast volunteers in Scotland, numbering 1,500 men. His name, while thus employed, was borne on the books of the Fisgard. In this service he was completely successful, and he received the thanks of the admiralty for his exertions. In Nov. 1854 he was nominated superintendent of the packet establishment at Southampton; and in Feb. 1855, during the heat of the war in the Crimea, he received the new and important appointment of chairman of the transport board, the arduous duties of which office he performed with the greatest advantage to the country. On the dissolution of the board, consequent on the termination of hostilities, he was appointed, Nov. 13, 1856, superintendent of the Royal William victualling yard and Royal naval hospital at Plymouth, where he remained until Feb. 24, 1858, when, not having qualified for the active list – on account of his employment in the civil service, in which, at the instance of three first lords of the admiralty, he had reluctantly sacrificed his fair prospects as a naval officer, to the exigencies of the public requirements – he was placed on the list of reserved rear-admirals. He married, April 28, 1842, Charlotte, 2d daughter of Charles Grant, Esq., and niece of the Right Hon. Sir William Grant, master of the rolls, with issue.

Lawrence Craigie, son of Baron Craigie foresaid, was a writer to the signet, and about the middle of last century purchased the estate of Dumbarnie from his relatives the Halkett Craigies, afterwards mentioned. About 1780 he sold Dumbarnie to his cousin, David Craigie, 3d son of President Craigie (see next article). By his marriage with Miss Duncan of Lundie, sister of the 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, he had a large family. His son, Major Thomas Craigie, was at the capture of Seringapatam; and among his grandsons are, colonel John Craigie, formerly military secretary in Bengal, and Major-general Peter Edmonstone Craigie, who at one time held an important command in India.

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The Craigies of Glendoick, in the Carse of Gowrie, descend from Robert Craigie, a younger brother of Baron Craigie of Kilgraston, above-mentioned. Born in 1685, he was admitted advocate in 1710, and after a successful career at the bar, which enabled him to purchase the estate of Glendoick in 1726, he was appointed lord advocate of Scotland in 1742. He held that important office during the eventful period of the rebellion, 1745-6, and in 1754 he was raised to the bench as lord president of the court of session. He died in 1760. A collection of interesting letters relating to the “rising” in 1745, is preserved in the library at Glendoick, and there is an excellent portrait of him by Allan Ramsay, painted in 1741. By his marriage with Barbara, daughter and heiress of Charles Stewart of Carie, a younger son of Stewart of Urrard, he had, with 3 daughters, 4 sons. 1. Charles Craigie of Glendoick, who died unmarried. 2. John Craigie of Glendoick, who was succeeded by his son, Laurence Craigie, Esq., present proprietor, whose 2d son, Capt. A. Craigie, R.E., was killed before Sebastopol. 3. David Craigie, Esq. of Dumbarnie, whose grandson, Robert George Craigie, R.N., in command of H.M.S. Ringdove, made post captain for gallant conduct in China, died at Yokohama, Japan, Sept. 15, 1862, of cholera, and whose great-granddaughter is in possession of Dumbarnie. 4. Robert, died unmarried. Daughters; 1. Anne, married her cousin, John Craigie of Kilgraston. 2. Cecilia, wife of Colonel Douglas of Strathendry, Fifeshire. 3. Isabella, died unmarried.

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Coeval with the Craigies of Kilgraston were the Craigies of Dumbarnie, in the parish of that name, and besides owing their common origin to the family of Craigie in Orkney, they were intimately connected by frequent intermarriages.

James Craigie, younger of Dumbarnie, was one of the commissioners to parliament for Perthshire from 1698 to 1701. His brother, John Craigie, professor of philosophy in the university of St. Andrews, was proprietor of the lands of Hallhill, &c., Fifeshire, and, under the provisions of a contract of mutual entail, succeeded to the estate of Dumbarnie.

His son, John Craigie of Dumbarnie, one of the lords of justiciary in Scotland, married Susan, daughter of Sir John Inglis of Cramond, by Lady Susan Hamilton, daughter of the 4th earl of Haddington, and was succeeded in his estates by his eldest daughter, Anne, who married Charles Halkett, Esq., colonel in the Dutch service and governor of Naumur. By deeds of settlement her husband and his successors were obliged to assume the name and arms of Craigie in addition to those of Halkett. This family is represented by Charles Halkett Craigie Inglis, Esq. of Cramond.


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