Person:William Cravens (2)

Rev. William CRAVENS 2 Apr 1766 - 10 Oct 1826 Repository ID Number: I2198

TITLE: Rev.

RESIDENCE: Rockingham Co. VA; Madison, IN Abt 1815

BIRTH: 2 Apr 1766, Rockingham Co., VA DEATH: 10 Oct 1826 BURIAL: Washington Co., IN RESOURCES: See: [S67] Father: John CRAVENS Mother: Margaret HIATT

Family 1 : Jean (Or Jane) HARRISON MARRIAGE: 29 Jan 1794, Rockingham Co. VA [S420]

 Hannah CRAVENS 
 John CRAVENS 
 Benjamin CRAVENS 

Notes Submitted by Diana Bennett: Centennial History of Washington County Indiana by Warder W. Stevens, published 1916 by B.F. Bowen Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.

The following is as copied from the book.

Rev. William Cravens, Fighting Methodist (page 247)

On the banks of the Blue River, in Pierce township, on a farm upon which he settled in 1819, reposes the dust of Rev. William Cravens, one of the most celebrated ministers of his day, or that ever traveled the circuit in this Western country in the first part of the nineteenth century. He was noted for his originality, not only of thought, but in his methods of presentsatellites. He had an extensive acquaintance all over this Western country, having ridden thousands upon thousands of miles during his active life, getting into the byways and out-of-the-way places, where people very rarely ever heard a sermon preached. He had friends among people who had never seen him, but had heard of his mighty power as a preacher, and was dreaded by his enemies who knew him not.

William Cravens was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, July 31, 1766, in the beautiful Shenandoah valley, through which runs the Shenandoah river, so named by the Indians; on account of its surpassing beauty, the name signifying the Daughters of the Stars. There it was that in 1794 William Cravens was converted to the doctrines and tenets of the Methodist church, with which he was prominently identified in after life. There, also, in 1794, he married Jane Harrison, a daughter of Col. Benjamin Harrison, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. By this marriage he had three children, John, Benjamin and Hannah, who married the Rev. William Shanks, a noted preacher of the Methodist church, who was also quite prominent in the early history of this county. In 1800 Cravens was licensed to preach, being ordained a deacon by Bishop Asbury. When and by whom he was ordained elder is not now known, but it is supposed he received this title about 1810.

[note by Becky Bonner: I believe the text above is incorrect regarding Jane being a dau of Ben the Signer who did not have a dau named Jane]. [S1365] [S51]

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~harrisonrep/Harrison/d0073/g0000048.html#I2198