THE CRAGG FAMILY OF BARNOLDSWICK & SALTERFORTH ,
LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

Matthew Cragg (the elder), was buried at Ghyll Church, Barnoldswick, aged 83, in 1816.  He was probably married to Ann, who was said at her burial at Ghyll in 1802, to be the wife of Matthew Cragg, shoemaker.  The main evidence that they were the parents of Matthew Cragg (the younger) is as follows.  Matthew the elder is described in some deed probate documents as a shoemaker or cordwainer and Matthew the younger was a cordwainer at his marriage and on the baptism of his first child.  Some pieces of land occupied by a Matthew Cragg at a time when Matthew the younger was a boy, were still occupied by a Matthew Cragg after the death of Matthew the elder in 1816.  There are no other Craggs in the parishes for several mile around Barnoldswick and Salterforth.  Following extensive research in an ever widening circle in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire, it seems likely, but cannot yet be proved,  that Matthew Cragg the elder came from Horton in Ribblesdale where there are baptisms of a Matthew Cragg son of Richard a labourer in 1734, a daughter Margret in 1732 and a further son Stephen in 1738.

In addition there is a record of a marriage of Matthew Cragg to Ann Stackhouse in on 30 July 1759 in Clapham, North Yorkshire, which is not far from Horton in Ribblesdale.

It is possible that Matthew and Ann had all their children in the Horton area.  There is a baptism of Richard the son of Matthew a shoemaker in Horton in Ribblesdale on 1 January 1764.  The names and date could be consistent with Richard being an elder brother of Matthew the younger.   The fact that the Christian names Richard, Matthew and Stephen occur at both Horton and Salterforth provides circumstantial evidence of connection.   From this information the family of Matthew Cragg the elder may be as follows:

• 1. Richard Cragg, labourer
  • 2.  Margaret Cragg (the elder), baptised Horton in Ribblesdale 1732, buried Ghyll Church, Barnoldswick aged 83 on 23 Dec 1816
  • 2.  Matthew Cragg, baptised Horton in Ribblesdale 1734
  • + Ann Stackhouse, married on 30 July 1759 at Clapham North Yorkshire, buried Ghyll Church, 26 Mar 1802
    • 3.  Richard Cragg, son of Matthew baptised Horton in Ribblesdale 1 January 1764.
    • 3.  Matthew Cragg (the younger) born about 1769/70
  • 2.  Stephen Cragg, baptised Horton in Ribblesdale 1738

The following information has been derived from a variety of sources with most of the information on the Parkinson family and that of Richard Cragg in generation 3, provided by Steven Broadley, a descendant of Richard Cragg.  I have also been contacted by Tom Parkinson in Lewiston, Idaho, with details of his ancestry, some of which are appended to the chart below.

Abbreviations

BC            Birth certificate
MC           Marriage certificate
DC            Death certificate
MI at SJ    Monumental Inscription at St. John's Methodist Chapel, Colne, Lancashire.
SBC          St. Bartholomew's, the Parish Church in Colne.
IGI            International Genealogical Index.  Used to indicate records not yet checked in the
                 original register and where full details may not have been given.

• 1. Matthew Cragg (the elder), born 1732/3, buried Ghyll Church, Barnoldswick, aged 83, on 23 December 1816
• + Ann (nee Stackhouse?) wife of Matthew Cragg, buried at Ghyll Church, 26 Mar 1802
  • 2. Matthew Cragg (the younger), born about 1769/70, and  buried 5 May 1824 at Ghyll, aged 54.  Will obtained.
  • + 1st. Margaret Barritt on 4 October 1788 at Ghyll Church.  She was baptised at Colne Parish church on 12 March 1769, the daughter of Robert Barritt and Betty, formerly Wilson of The Hey in Foulridge. (Robert Barritt left a will.)  Margaret was buried at Ghyll in 1801 aged 32.
    • 3. Ann Cragg baptised 11 September 1791 at Ghyll Church, Barnoldswick.  She died on 15 November 1862 aged 71.  (MI at SJ)
    • +  Wilkinson Parkinson, born 1778/9, married on 21 Feb 1813 at SBC.  He died on 6 October 1844 aged 65. (MI at SJ)
      • 4.  Matthew Parkinson, bapt. 20 March 1814, SBC and died same year.
      • 4.  Richard Parkinson, bapt, 26 Dec. 1816, Colne (IGI).  He married Mary Watkinson and was the founder of Parkinson's Pills in Burnley. Died 1880.
      • 4.  John Parkinson, bapt. 5 April 1818, of Barnoldswick son of Wilkinson and Ann Parkinson (IGI but does not state which church)
      • 4.  Thomas Parkinson, born 1819, at Preston, Lancashire, married Elizabeth Stansfield.
        • 5.  James Parkinson, born 1845 in Lancashire and died 7 September 1921 at Exeter, Barry, Missouri.
          • 6    Paul Parkinson, born 17 November 1888 at Chilicothe, Livingstone, Missouri, died on 2 September 1961 at Bard, Imperial, California. Paul was father of James and grandfather of Tom Parkinson who provided the information on the descendents of Thomas Parkinson.
      • 4.  Stephen Parkinson, bapt. 16 Nov. 1828, Colne, son of Wilkinson and Ann Parkinson, (IGI) died 5 December 1864 aged 36.
      • 4.  Ann Parkinson, died 16 July 1844 aged 14. (MI at SJ)
      • 4.  Cragg Parkinson, died 28 Sept. 1836 aged 15 months. (MI at SJ)
    • 3.  Betty Cragg, baptised 16 February 1794 at Thornton in Craven.  She is mentioned in her grandfather Barritt's will.  In her father's will of 1820 she is mentioned as Betty Greenwood.  She may be the Elizabeth Cragg who married John Greenwood on 31 August 1813 at Manchester Cathedral.
    • 3.  Richard Cragg, baptised 24 December 1797 at SBC.  Extensive details are available on his family.
    • 3. Stephen Cragg, baptised 13 October 1799 at SBC.  Stephen died in 1881, (DC and will)
    • +  1st. Isabella Hudson on 25 August 1823.  She died 19 February 1832, aged 34.
      • 4. Matthew Cragg, bapt. at Ghyll, 3 April 1825. He died 11 January 1891 in Salterforth (DC).
      • +  Elizabeth Bolton on 25 December 1843 at Ghyll Church. (MC).  She was bapt. the dau. of William and Mary Bolton, of Lower Hague, labourer, on 16 March 1823 at St Bartholomew’s Colne.  Elizabeth died 14 July 1867 in Colne (DC) and is buried in Colne Cemetery.
        • 5.    Mary Cragg, born 1844
        • 5.    Bolton Cragg, born 1847
        • 5.    John William Cragg, born 1853, died in infancy.
        • 5.    Albert Cragg, born 20 April 1856 (BC).  He died 19 May 1933 (will)
        • +     Elizabeth Ellen Lancaster on 4 November 1880 at Colne Wesleyan Chapel (MC).  She was born 27 October 1861, the dau. of Thomas Lancaster and Sarah, nee Bullock (BC).  Elizabeth Ellen  died on 17 April 1939 at Colne.
          • 6.     Sarah Cragg, born 1881. Married Enoch Latham.  No issue.
          • 6.     Richard Cragg, (1883-1965)
          • +      Alice Taylor (died 1963)
            • 7.    Albert Cragg, born abt. 1905, married May Proudlove.
          • 6.     Margaret Cragg, died in infancy
          • 6.     Thomas Lancaster Cragg, 18 December 1891, Accrington (BC), died 4 October 1971 at Colne.
          • +      Elsie Jane Priestley, the daughter of Henry Priestley and Alice nee Crabtree in May 1915.  She died 30 November 1961 at Colne.
            • 7.    Elsie Priestley Cragg
            • 7.    Alice Cragg
            • 7.    Ellen Cragg
            • 7.    Carolyn Cragg
          • 6.     Alice Cragg, born 1894
          • +      Charles Atkins
            • 7.    Albert Atkins.
        • 5.     Margaret Ann Cragg, born 1861
      • 4.    Richard Cragg, bapt. at Ghyll, 14 May 1826.
      • 4.    Margaret Cragg, bapt. at Ghyll, 2 March 1828
      • 4.    Barrett Cragg, bapt. at Ghyll, 6 June 1830
      • 4.    Elizabeth Cragg, dau. of 2nd wife, bapt. 6 April 1834.
    • +   2nd. wife of Stephen Cragg was Mary Baker, nee Cundal, who died 1 December 1862 aged 63.
      • 4.    Mary, dau. of 2nd wife, born 3 June 1841. (BC)
  • +   2nd. wife of Matthew Cragg was Susannah Sutcliffe, married at Colne Parish Church in 1807.
    • 3.     Matthew, son of 2nd. wife, baptised 15 May 1808 at Colne Parish Church. See Footnote 1

Footnote 1

In 1873 there was a survey of land ownership in England, published in 1875. It showed by county, each owner with the number of acres of land and the gross rental value. At that time Stephen Cragg of Salterforth had 16 acres with gross rental value of £48. The executors of Matthew Cragg of Barrowford had 18 acres valued at £70.