I have two foremothers named Jane Brown. I will include their husband’s names to keep the stories clear. This Jane Brown was the mother of James Craig – who also married a Jane Brown!!
Jane Brown was born 02 August 1760 in Bedford County Virginia. She was the daughter of James and Jennet Brown. Jennet’s maiden name is not known at this time.
Jane tells in her pension application that she knew her husband from childhood. She says that when John returned home in the spring of 1780, he went to her father’s house BEFORE returning to his own father’s house. I imagine he had marriage plans in his mind and wanted to see the “feisty” daughter of James Brown.
I call her “fiesty” because I found a record in Cumberland County Kentucky of her filing a lawsuit against a Mr. Wade, accusing him of forging a will in the matter of her brother, John Brown’s estate. The legal battle went on from 1835 to 1837. Both sides brought in many witnesses that gave testimony that was favorable to that particular side. Jane said she and her brother very close and it was unthinkable that he would not have left her something in his will. Mr Wade had a witness that heard John Brown say he would write a will so his sister Jane Craig would not receive any of his property, or any of her children either. It must have been the talk of the County at that time. Finally in 1837 Mr. Wade paid Jane Brown Craig the sum of $35.00 and she dropped all charges against him.
Jane was awarded $80.00 per year as a pension for her husband’s Revolutionary War service. She died after 1844. The records of Kentucky are rather sparse for this time period, and I feel lucky to have found out as much as I have about my Craig ancestors.
Jane Craig had twelve children. Six sons and six daughters. Two of her sons were twins that died as infants. She married John Craig on 17 September 1782 in Bedford County Virginia. They were of that tough generation that not only faced a revolution, they faced going to a new wilderness called Kentucky, they faced the rigors of that primitive life and they faced the dangers from the Indians.
This is the story of Jane’s dispute over her brother’s estate. She obviously was not one to be silenced in the face of a perceived injustice.
Jane Brown #2 and James Craig
This Jane Brown is my second foremother with that name. Her mother in law was also Jane Brown. Poor James Craig. Both his mother and his wife were named Jane Brown. I am sure I will find someday that the two Jane Browns were related, but to date cannot make that connection. Jane Brown (the elder) had a brother named David and Jane Brown (the younger) named her first son David. These Scots Irish folks followed the naming practices of the day, and it is likely David Craig was named after Jane’s father, but this is purely speculation at this point.
Jane CRAIG is on the Clinton Co., KY Tax List in 1847. Her husband had died between June 1846 and June 1847 and that year Jane filed and paid the taxes for her family.
Jane was born about 1785 as she was age 65 in 1850. She states on the 1850 and 1860 censuses that she was born in Tennessee. Clinton and Wayne Counties Kentucky border Tennessee. She married James Craig on 22 February 1810 in Wayne County Kentucky. She died after the 1860 census but before the 1870 census. In 1860 she is living with her daughter Rosanna and her husband Lemuel Stockton in Clinton County Kentucky.
Jane Brown Craig was the mother of nine children, three sons and six daughters. Her second child was my ancestor David Craig.
Marriage record of James Craig and Jean (Jane) Brown married 22 February 1810 by Reverend Reuben Owens in Wayne County Kentucky
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