The Crawford Family

The Crawford Lineage in the Scottish Settlement

Studying the Crawford linage demonstrates how the Scottish clans intermarried in both Scotland and Michigan. We can see the fabric of the settlement in just this one family. The Crawfords are related to other surnames found in the Settlement, including Borland, Morton, Dickie, Bone, Reid, Gray, Hunter, Wallace, Wilson, Wylie, Hamilton, and Hopkins. Because the Crawfords came to the Scottish Settlement in the early 1830s, they were among the first wave of pioneers to homestead in southeastern Michigan; they helped define the original settlement.

On June 21, 1831, James Crawford (born June 24, 1827, in Ayrshire, died September 21, 1914, in Armada) arrived in New York City with his parents, Robert I. Crawford and Janet (Dickie) Crawford, and five siblings, John, Alexander, Robert, Jane, and Helen. They crossed the Atlantic on the ship Allen.

As a young boy (about age 4), James Crawford lived with his parents, in Buffalo, New York (for two years) before moving with his family to Macomb County, Michigan in 1833. On June 28, 1856, James married Elizabeth Borland (born July 3, 1829, in Ayrshire and died August 29, 1912, in Armada). They had a son Thomas Borland Crawford (born December 10, 1858, in Armada and died January 11, 1940, in Akron, Summit County, Ohio).

James’ father, Robert I. Crawford, was born in Kilwinning Parish, Ayrshire, Scotland on August 14 (2nd?), 1796 and died in the Scottish Settlement (Armada Township, Macomb County) on September 15, 1885. His mother was Helen Bone (born about 1775) and his father was John Crawford. Records conflict on Ancestry, but one researcher reports that John Crawford was born May 26, 1765, in Shelbyhill, Lesmahagow and died November 18, 1805, in New Cumnock, Ayrshire.

Shelbyhill is a locality within Lesmahagow, a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Lesmahagow lies about 5 miles southwest of Lanark, 21 miles southeast of Glasgow, and 35 miles southwest of Edinburgh. John married Helen Bone June 22, 1796, in Kilwinning. John’s parents (Robert I. Crawford’s grandparents) were James Crawford (1724 to 1800) and Helen Hamilton (1726 to 1825). James’ Crawford’s parents (Robert I. Crawford’s great grandparents) were James Crawford (1716 to 1751) and Margaret Warefield (1716).  Helen Hamilton’s parents were Daniel Hamilton (1696 to 1750) and Mary Richmond (1703 to 1750).

Robert I. Crawford married Janet Dickie in Dreghorn Parish, Ayrshire Scotland on May 19, 1820. Janet was born February 21, 1801, in Stewarton Parish, Ayrshire and died August 10, 1832, age 31, in Buffalo—she died during childbirth while giving birth to her daughter Janette. Janet Dickie’s parents were Alexander Dickie (1761) and Jean Bowman (1761-1841).

The parents of Elizabeth Borland (1829-1912) were Thomas Borland (February 5, 1795, in Galston, died in 1841 in Craigie Parish) and Elizabeth Morton (October 14, 1801, in Craigie Parish, Ayrshire, died July 30, 1887). The parents of Thomas were Thomas (about 1766 to about 1841) and Elizabeth Anderson (born about 1770). The parents of Elizabeth were John Morton (born about 1760) and Anne Wilson (born March 5, 1762).

Thomas Borland Crawford (1858 to 1940) married Mary Gray Reid (May 14, 1864, to December 17, 1892). They had a daughter Mabel Grace Crawford (July 28, 1888, to September 16, 1960). The parents of Thomas Borland Crawford were James Crawford (1827 to 1914) and Elizabeth Borland (1829 to 1912). The parents of Mary Gray Reid were Neil Gray Reid (1841-1901) and Annie Hunter Hopkins (1841 to 1911).

Neil Gray Reid’s parents were William Reid (1814-1891) and Mary Gray (1809-1859). Mary Gray’s parents were Neil Gray and Mary Wylie. Annie Hunter Hopkin’s parents were John Hopkin (1797-1885) and Jean Hunter (1803-1868). John Hopkin’s parents were James Hopkin and Helen Morton. Jean Hunters parents were John Hunter and Agnes Wallace.

An Ancestry.com record says that Robert I. Crawford was born August 4, 1796 in Dreghorn Parish, Ayrshire. It is clear he was born in August 1796 is Dreghorn but I find three different days in three different family histories (2, 4, and 14). Robert and Janet had six kids in Scotland, John (1801-1832), Robert (1824 to 1836, Janette Ann (1825 to 1870), James (1827 to 1914), Alexander (1826 to 1860) and Ellen (1829 to 1860).

April 1, 1885: Isaac Crawford 1833 to 1916, a Civil War veteran, came to Michigan with his parents and settled in Oakland county near the Macomb county line. His father set up a blacksmith shop. He left Oakland county when he was 17. He served in the army of the Potomac under general Custer. Then he moved to Romeo with T. R. Crawford, a blacksmith, his brother, after the Civil War. He farmed in Bruce township and was a. Master of the Masons Lodge for 20 years. He died on his birthday.

O.D. Thompson and T.R. Crawford (Thomas Ross Crawford, Isaac’s brother) attended a reunion of their company, the 22nd Michigan infantry, at Mount Clemens on August 25, 1897. Thomas was born in Lakeville, Michigan and died at the age of 93. He had a son, Elijah, and a daughter, Nancy Crawford. Thomas married July 4, 1866. He was a member of the Oxford Masonic Lodge.

The 1870 Federal census for Armada Township lists Robert Crawford (born 1797) living with John M Smith age 47 and Helen B. Smith age 41, both born in Scotland and their kids Charles J. Smith age 13, born in New York and Mary A. Smith, age 8 born in Michigan.

There is a national organization called The Clan Crawford Association, which is a division of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations; here is a link Welcome to Clan Crawford Association – Clan Crawford Association. I copied this from their website:

Introduction to the House of Crawford

Welcome to the website of the Clan Crawford Association (CCA). The Association was incorporated in 2006 and is also legally registered under the name The House of Crawford. We are a member of the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations. In 2012 we were issued Letters Patent from the Court of the Lord Lyon granting a coat of arms that integrates the designs of the two main branches of the House, Crawfordjohn and Dalmagregan.

The CCA represents the historic Scottish House of Crawford, also known today as Clan Crawford. If you are a Crawford or a descendant of Crawfords, no matter how you spell the surname (Crawford, Craufurd, Crafoord, Crafford, etc.), we would like to invite you to join our association. We are recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c)3 non-profit association open to all Crawfords. Our main function is to gather and advance the study of our history and traditions. We have a long and proud history within Scotland and in many countries around the world where Scots have settled and contribute meaningfully to their new communities.

We are an organization centered around celebrating the early beginnings of our surname but also focused on helping all Crawfords find their roots and how they may have connected to the very large family of Crawfords across the world. There is a dual track to helping members find their roots. The first track is by following family and historic written records that track pedigrees of individuals back through time. Unfortunately, the historic records often only provide the paternal side of marriages and may only give the mother’s given name but no record of her maiden surname. However, the number of records available for viewing on the Internet continues to grow each year, uncovering new clues to our roots. We are working to make a library of known Crawford pedigrees that can be accessed by members. This is a task underway.

The second major endeavor is to obtain a large database of the DNA of Crawford males. This is important in a paternalistic society because the DNA on the Y chromosome of males can only be inherited from his father. This DNA is passed down from son to son through the centuries and does not vary except where a mutation at a specific location on the chromosome has occurred. This allows scientists to determine the relationships between different Crawford individuals and branches of Crawfords.

Clan Crawford International Association has partnered with Family Tree DNA to help keep track of Crawfords who have taken DNA tests. The data is held by Family Tree, but through Clan Crawford we work to find the different lineages and work to place individuals who have joined the Crawford Surname Project into the correct existing lineage or to create a new lineage. These data are available to everyone via the Family Tree website. To join the Crawford Surname Project follow this hyperlink to Family Tree https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=Crawford. We recommend that you at least purchase the Y-DNA test for 37 markers. More if you can afford it as the greater the number of loci tested the better the accuracy of the test.

Origins of the Crawford Name

The Crawford family traces its roots to Scotland’s Lowlands, with origins in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire. The name itself is topographic, meaning “ford of the crows,” and the clan has a long history tied to castles, landholdings, and alliances with other Scottish families. The clan is of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon origin, though in the 18th century some mistakenly believed it had Norman roots.

The Crawford family has a rich history that dates back to the 11th century in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The surname is derived from the Old English words "crawa," meaning "crow," and "ford," meaning "a river crossing," indicating that the original bearer lived near a ford where crows nested. The family's lineage is linked to King David I of Scotland, who was saved from a stag by Sir Gregan Crawford, leading to the foundation of Holyrood Abbey.

Clan Crawford in Scotland

Region: Scottish Lowlands, especially Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Ayrshire.

Historic seat: Auchinames Castle in Renfrewshire.

Branches: Crawford of Auchinames (chiefs), Craufurd of Kilbirnie, Crawfords of Craufurdland, Craufurd of Jordanhill, and others.

Motto: Tutum te robore reddam (“With my strength I’ll give you safety”).

The clan is now armigerous (without a chief), with the last chief being Adam Crawfurd of Auchinames.

The Crawfords have played a significant role in Scottish history, including their involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence and their connections to notable figures like William Wallace.

Expansion Beyond Scotland

Many Crawfords emigrated to Ireland and America, where the name became widespread.

In the U.S., genealogical records trace Crawford families back to early colonial times. A notable resource is The Early Ancestors of the Crawfords in America (1940), which documents American branches. The Crawford family migrated from Scotland to America as early as the mid‑1600s, with branches settling first in Virginia and North Carolina before spreading westward into Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas, and beyond.

Genealogical Research

The Clan Crawford Association maintains projects on paper records and genetic genealogy (Y-DNA studies) to connect modern Crawfords with their Scottish ancestry.

Collaborative platforms like WikiTree host thousands of Crawford family profiles, helping descendants trace their lineage. See the WikiTree Crawford Project – a collaborative family tree with thousands of Crawford profiles

The WikiTree Crawford Project is a collaborative genealogy effort focused on researching and documenting individuals with the Crawford surname. It’s part of WikiTree’s One Name Study initiative, meaning it collects information on all Crawfords worldwide, not just biologically related. Here is the link:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Crawford_Name_Study

One Name Study: The project gathers records, family trees, and historical details about anyone with the Crawford surname (including spelling variations like Craufurd, Crafford, etc.).

Collaborative Research: Genealogists and family historians contribute profiles, sources, and discussions to build a shared, accurate family tree.

Flexible Focus Areas: Research can be organized by geography (e.g., Scottish Crawfords), time period (e.g., 18th century), or topic (e.g., Crawford occupations, DNA studies).

Community Participation: Over 27,000 Crawford profiles are currently documented, with thousands of active contributors.

Further Research suggestions

The ship Allen

Oxford Masonic Lodge

WikiTree Crawford Project