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The Crawford Name from "God Feeds the Crows" written by Myra Singleton Johnson |
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According to historical accounts, the
traditional home of the Crawford family is at Crawfordjohn and Crawford , towns located on opposite sides of the headwaters of the
River Clyde in the lowlands of Scotland. This area, lying about equal distance
east from the town of Ayr, north of Dumfries, southwest from Edinburg, and
southeast of Glasgow (
map) has been linked to the Crawford family for more than 800 years. The
most familiar legend boasts that the name Crawford signifies a road, or passing
place, and was derived from a ford, or crossing place on a stream running
through the lands belonging to Sir Reginald, Shire Reeve of Ayr, in the 12th
century. The small ford in the stream was favored by crows, who gathered to feed
on the morsels they found among the rocks in the shallow stream. Sir Reginald's
descendants came to be identified by this place on his land: "Of the Crow's
Ford", or "Reginald Craw-ford" and eventually the use of the
surname "Crawford" was used.
Sir Reginald had received his royal
appointment after his father, the Fourth Earl of Richmond, captured William the
Lion who was King of Scotland in 1175 and held him prisoner at Richmond Castle
in Yorkshire, England. William made friends with his captor's son, Reginald, and
one day as a wounded stag attacked King William outside the castle, young
Reginald saved his life. When William the Lion was released from captivity he
did not forget the help Reginald had given him. He named Reginald Shire Reeve
(or Sheriff) of Ayr. Reginald assumed his place in Ayr with all the
responsibilities and lands bestowed upon him. His family obtained control of at
least 440 manors, and 140 knights' fees in the counties of York, Lincoln and
Norfolk. Sir Reginald became known in recorded history as Reginald the Good.
The crows's ford legend is further
documented in such publications as The American Genealogical Research
Institute's 1973 publication of The Crawford Family. "God Feeds the
Crows" became accepted as the family's motto and is indeed seen
inscribed on tombstones found in Raloo Parish, County Antrim, in Ireland. Raloo
Parish had been established as a farming community about 1625 in a crescent
shaped tract of land near Ballyvallough. Some of these tombstones date back as
far as the 18th Century. (Why
did our Scottish Ancestors Emigrate to Northern Ireland?)
According to surviving
records, by 1641 one of the farmers in this area was Patrick Crawford who had
married Nancy "Nannie"
Blair, daughter of Brice and Esther Peden
Blair. Patrick and Nannie had at least one child, a son whom they had named John
Crawford. Patrick and Nannie were God fearing Presbyterians and were members of
the Old Church of Larne and Kilwaughter which had been founded in 1625. No
membership rolls were preserved of the first years of the Old Church, but
Session minutes show that Patrick was an Elder in the 1680's and his name is
found in the records again in 1700. The oldest tombstone
(picture on left) in the Raloo Graveyard (map), located about four miles from the
Old Church (photo) reads, "Here
lyeth the body of Nancie Blare wefe of Patrick Crafovrd, 21st Arie 1691".
As for Patrick, his death date is unknown as no marker can be found bearing his
name. There are several other markers
dated from the 18th and 19th centuries in this old cemetery identifying graves
of Crawford family members; some feature the same carved arms, crest and motto.
An ermine is depicted creeping within a horizontal band separating three crows.
The inscription reads: "God Feeds the Crows."
Records of marriages at the
Old Church of Larne and Kilwaughter give forth that of John Crawford and his
bride, Jane (known as "Annie") Lyle, who were wed on August 21, 1746.
Further investigation of records in possession of the descendants of this John
Crawford states that he was the son of Patrick Crawford and wife, Ann Drummond.
Just what the connection of this Patrick and John to the Patrick and son, John,
who were early residents of Raloo Parish is not proved, however this younger
Patrick was most likely also a son of the old Patrick, who possibly named his son
after his brother, John.
The History of Nancy Boyd, a
manuscript on file at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, 66 Balmoral
Avenue, Belfast NI BT 9 6 NY (Chapter 1) reveals that John and Jane Lyle
Crawford had several children, Matthew, born about 1760 according to his
tombstone at Raloo Cemetery, who married Janet, daughter of Nancy Boyd Crawford;
the second child was Betty Crawford who married William Blair. Another son was
Patrick Crawford who married Elizabeth Moore and had a child, Esther, who
married a Blair. Still another passage reads: "....The parents of Matthew
Crawford of Raloo were John Crawford and Jane Lyle who were married in the Old
Presbyterian Church Larne on the 21st August 1746 by the Reverend Josias
Clugston." It goes on to state: "....Matthew Crawford had one brother William
who married a Miss Jenny Stuart; they emigrated to South Carolina...."
