|
|
Facts and Events
About Ambrose Crain
Ambrose Crain was born abt. 1734 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the son of William Crain and his wife Jean. Ambrose served in the Revolutionary War enlisting as a Private in Capt. John Marshall's Company on 25 March 1776 as a Quartermaster-Sergeant, Col. Samuel Miles Battalion of the Pennsyvania Line. He was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant and later to Captain of a company of associators and was in active service against the British and Indians toward the end of the war. After the war, Capt. Crain removed to the "Valley of Virginia" according to William H. Egle's Notes and queries: historical, biographical and genealogical, relating chiefly to interior Pennsylvania. Indeed, there are records in Rockbridge County, presented below that show that he was in the Valley of Virginia, and likely died there sometime after the last record in April 1797. Some researchers claim that Ambrose Crain died in Loudoun County, Virginia, but there are apparently no records to establish him living there as there were in Rockbridge.
Records in Pennsylvania
- 1785 Assessments: East Hanover Twp, Dauphin Co.: Crain, Ambrouse, Peticrew, James; [father of William listed below].
Records in Virginia
- Rockbridge County, VA Deed Book C, pp. 153-154. 25 March 1795, for 160 pounds, 64 acres. Cawfield Taylor and Rebekah his wife of Rockbridge County, VA to William Pattycrue (Pettycrew) of the same. Adjoining sd. Taylor, James Paul, Ambros Crain, and Andrew Cloyd.
- Beginning at Poplar & white oak on James Paul's line. With the same South 50 deg, East 70 poles to his corner two walnuts and two hickories on Ambrose Crain's line. With the same, North 36 deg, East 122 poles to a white oak & Black oak corner sd. Cloyd. With his line, North 52 deg, West 8 poles to white oak & chestnut oak on sd. line. South 4 deg, West 124 poles to Beginning. With the appurtenances.
- Cawfld. Taylor (seal)
- Rebakah Taylor (seal)
- [Note: this land also adjoined the town of Springfield.]
- Rockridge County, VA Order Book 1795-1799. p. 595. John Pettycrew vs Wm Pettycrew & Ambrose Crain, in debt fo 25 lbs, 5% interest from Apr 1797. Source: Rootsweb.com
References
- Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- North Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890: [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999).
Name: Ambrose Crain
State: NC
County: Rowan County
Township: Early Tax List
Year: 1768
Database: NC Early Census Index
- ROOTS-L.
GENERATION NO. 9 256. Ambrose CRAIN is thought to have been born in Amelia County, Virginia around 1720. He married 257. Elizabeth ______, probably in Grainger County, North Carolina. He died after 1792 in Georgia. 257. Elizabeth ______ was born in North Carolina about 1737. She died in 1815 in Robertson, Tennessee and is buried in the Head Cemetery. They had 9 children: 128. i. William CRAIN, born about 1752 in Granville County, North Carolina. He died about 1833 in Henderson County, Tennessee. ii. John Benjamin CRAIN was born 6 Feb 1759 in Granville County, North Carolina. He married in 1776. He died in Stewart, Tennessee. iii. Mildred CRAIN was born 1760 in North Carolina. She died in 1827. iv. Stephen CRAIN was born 1760 in Fleespoint, Virginia. He married 9 Sep 1784. He died 1806 in Chester County South Carolina. v. Silas CRAIN was born 5 Feb 1762 in Botetourt Co, Virginia. He died about 1845 in Green Co, IL. vi. Joel CRAIN, was born 27 Feb 1762 in Granville County, North Carolina. Married in 1825 in Limestone County Alabama and died 1 Dec 1844 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. vii. Lewis CRAIN, born 1762 in North Carolina, died 6 Sep 1827 in Sumner County, Tennessee. viii. Madison G. CRAIN was born before 1766 in Virginia. ix. Newton CRAIN was born before 1766 in Fleetspoint Virginia. Notes for Ambrose Follow: The thought held among some of the earlier Crane researchers is that William, our Revolutionary ancestor, and his brother, Joel, were among the descendants of Jasper and his wife, Alice, who immigrated to America from England about 1639. The only basis for this thought, as far as we can determine, is the repetition of names, and persons so named migrating from one section of the country to another in closely-knit groups. The names most often used in these families were Jasper, John, William, James, Stephen, Abijah, Ambrose, Silas, Spencer, Joel, Benjamin and Lewis. The names Ambrose and Abijah so rare that there must certainly be a connection, but these may trace back to Europe and these may well have been entirely different immigrant groups. This group included several families living in New England at the time of the Revolution—an Abijah Crane was a member of the Boston Tea Party. Our immediate ancestors were in Virginia and North Carolina during this period. Following the Revolution they moved to Georgia. From Georgia some migrated through Tennessee before going on to Texas; others made the trip to Texas across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Men of these names are so numerous it is almost exasperating to fit each one into his proper place in the pattern of history and family. The descendants of Revolutionary soldier, Joel Crain, and other researchers contend William and Joel were sons of John Crain, a Baptist minister, whose father was one of two Crain brothers who emigrated to North Carolina from Wales about 1700. Traditionally, Joel and William had five brothers all of whom served in the Revolution. Three of the brothers are supposed to have been John J., Madison G., and Newton; the other two have not been identified. Solon and Marguerite Crain, who wrote “The Ten Sons of Oliver”, went through an extensive study of records on the Crain family and remain unconvinced as to the relation to John. One concern is that, given the birth dates for William and Joel, there must certainly have been an intermediate generation. Bettye Gilbert, a contemporary family researchers suggests that William and Joel may be sons of Spencer Crain who settled in Georgia. The evidence to support this rather interesting theory is simply not adequate at this time. The record that we have today first mentions Ambrose and Philemon Crain in 1746 when they were living on a branch of Deep Creek in Amelia Co., Virginia. Geographically, this area is a short distance to the south west of Richmond, well east of the normal northern migration trail down the Shenandoah Valley. On the face of it, one might assume from this evidence, that it is more likely that the family immigrated directly into the South. Shortly thereafter Ambrose Crain moved to Granville Co, North Carolina. Ambrose bought one hundred fifty acres of land from Joseph Bridges in Granville County in 1752 . On 8 October 1754, Ambrose Crane is listed for Colonel William Eaton’s District on a muster roll of Capt. Osborn Jeffrey's Company in Granville Co., North Carolina. Ambrose Crane witnessed the will of William Bridges, of Granville Co., NC in 1756. These are the earliest known records of our Crane line. Later statements from his two sons prove that they were both born in Granville County, North Carolina, William in 1752 and Joel in 1762. The relationship between Ambrose and William is somewhat circumstantial. The record places Ambrose in Granvillle County the year of William’s birth. There is no other Crane family found in the same area at this time. During this period it was common to name children after parents. While we only have records of one son from William, Abijah, Joel did indeed name one son Ambrose. There is also the continued relation between Ambrose, William and Joel. The family moved to western North Carolina a couple of years after Joel’s birth. Ambrose Crane witnessed a deed transferring land from William NASSERY to Hugh Jenkins, 20 Nov 1767 in Rowan County, North Carolina. In 1770 Surry County was formed from Rowan County; the county has records from 1771. In 1777 Surry County was divided; the western portion was called it Wilkes: Wilkes County has records form 1778. “It encompassed the territory in the northwest corner of North Carolina bordered by Virginia on the north and by the present state of Tennessee on the west. Subsequently, the original Wilkes was divided forming all or part of the following counties: Ashe, Watauga, Alleghany, Alexander, Caldwell, Avery and Mitchell. Many of the early land records involving the Crane family are found in Wilkes County. On 4 July 1778 as William Crane bought 100 acres at Hunting Creek. John Crane bought a section of land between Ambrose Craine and Abner Baker the same day. James Crane, perhaps Philemon Crane’s son, sold 100 acres on West side of Hunting Creek adjacent to Ambrose Crane’s line 17 Jul 1778. Ambrose Crane entered one hundred acres of land in Wilkes County lying on the south fork of Hunting Creek joining John Crane at the lower and running on either side to William Cranes line 22 Dec 1778. James sold land on the Yadkin waters in November 1779. He died and his wife Martha was named administrix of his estate in 1790. Aaron Crain from Virginia, his relationship to our family is as yet unknown, was in Wilkes in 1787 It appears that the families of Ambrose and Philemon began to settle in different locations over time. In the Wilkes County tax list of 1782 we find Ambrose Crane in Nathan Gordan’s district, but Philemon, James, William and Philemon Jr. were in Capt. Roland Judd’s district. Philemon Crain died in Wilkes County in 1786. His will names his wife, Elizabeth, and children: Philemon, Aaron, Rachel, William, John, James, and Mary. ˜ — — — ™
https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/mocedar.rootsweb.com/thread/18856662/
- .
Ambrose Crain (Crane) had been commissioned a second lieutenant in the Pennsylvania State Regiment on 17 April 1777. Crain was cashiered a week later for traveling to Philadelphia while under arrest.
1. Ambrose Crane (Crain; b. 1745) of Lancaster County, Pa., who enlisted as a private in Col. Samuel Miles’s Pennsylvania rifle regiment in March 1776, became a quartermaster sergeant in July 1776, and a short time later he was appointed a first lieutenant in the 11th Lancaster County militia regiment. Crane served as a second lieutenant in Col. Walter Stewart’s Pennsylvania state regiment from April 1777 to this date. After his cashiering Crane resumed his service in the Lancaster County militia with the rank of captain.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-10-02-0574
- Egle, William Henry. Notes and queries: historical, biographical and genealogical, relating chiefly to interior Pennsylvania. (Baltimore [Maryland], 1894-1901).
pg. 27-28
At a meeting of the Committee of Inspection, Observation and Correspondence for Lancaster county, Convened July 26, 1776, Col. Green being present, on representing that near fifty
of his Flying Camp Company were in town, armed and accoutred and ready to march, and that
a number of the drafts of some of the companies of his battalion had not yet joined them,
requested the sentiments of the committee whether those who were should march to the camp under his command; when it was directed that the same should be done; also, that Capts. Ambrose Crain, Thos. CoppenhefFer and John Rogers be ordered to march at once.
|
|
