- Griffin Craft(s) was b. May 21, 1600 in England, the s. of unknown parents, and d. at Roxbury, Mass. on Oct. 4, 1689, Æ 90 [Roxbury Recs.]. In the Roxbury town and church records Griffin's surname is written as Craft, Craftes, Crafts, Crofts, etc. In this presentation, the memorialist has used the surname of Craft as used in the published family genealogy.[1] Later generations added a terminal "s", but in many instances the corresponding records still wrote the name as Craft. Others who descend from Griffin and manage descendant lines have chosen to use the surname of Crafts.
Before circa 1628 in England, Griffin m. 1) at an unknown place, Alice, whose parentage is unknown. She was b. circa 1601. She was "smitten with Apoplexie" at Roxbury on Mar. 24, 1672/3, d. the following day Mar. 25, 1673, Æ 73, and was buried the following day Mar. 26 [Roxbury Recs.]. Six children of the family.
On July 15, 1673 at Dorchester, Mass., Griffin m. 2) Ursula Adams, formerly the successive widow of Samuel Streeter, Samuel Hosier and William Robinson. She was the dau. of Henry Adams and Edith Squire, bapt. July 19, 1619 at Barton St. Davids in Somerset, England. She d. Feb. 20, 1678/9 at Charlestown, Mass. There were no children of the Craft-Adams marriage.
After the death of his second wife, Griffin m. 3) Dorcas French, dau. of Thomas French and Susan Riddlesdale, and widow of Christopher Peake of Roxbury, Mass. She was bapt. July 31, 1614 at St. Edmunds at Assington, Suffolk, England and d. Dec. 30, 1697 at Roxbury, Mass. There also were no children of this marriage.
Griffin and wife Alice arrived in New England in 1630 on one of the 11 ships that were part of the Winthrop Fleet that sailed in the early Spring of 1630 from ports along the southern and western shores of England. Some claim they were on the celebrated Mary & John, which arrived on May 30, 1630 and landed at present-day Hull, Mass. The Mary & John sailed independent of the Winthrop Fleet while most if not all of the Mary & John passengers settled at Cambridge, Mass.
In 1930 Charles Edward Banks published The Planters of the Commonwealth in Massachusetts, 1620-1640 in which the Crafts are listed as being among the passengers of the 11 ship Winthrop Fleet of 1630. No extant passenger lists have ever existed for the specific named ships and Banks merely named people based on records highly suggestive the persons had arrived in the year 1630. Yet, some writer's claim the Crafts were passengers with Gov. John Winthrop on the flagship Arabella, which arrived at Salem, Mass. on June 12, 1630. But, most of the passengers of the Arabella were the prominent and elite members of the passage, founded the Town of Boston and resided there. On the other hand, the Crafts settled in Roxbury southwest of Boston.
A page on Geni.com titled Great Migration: Passengers of the Arbella, 1630 is misleading as it infers all 562 persons listed sailed solely aboard the Arabella.
The children of Lieut. Griffin Craft(s) and first wife Alice are:
• i. Hannah Craft, b. circa 1628 at England, d. Aug. 17, 1692 at Newton, Mass. (Newton VRs); m. Apr. 2, 1645 at Roxbury, Nathaniel Wilson, who d. at Newton Sept. 17, 1692 (Newton VRs). Ten known children of the family.
• ii. John Craft, b. July 10, 1630 in New England, d. Sept. 3, 1685 at Roxbury, Mass.; m. 1) June 7, 1654 at Roxbury, Rebecca Wheelock, dau. of Rev. Ralph Wheelock & Rebecca Clark, bapt. Aug. 24, 1634 at Eccles in Norfolkshire, England. She d. during childbirth at Roxbury, Mass. where she was buried Nov. 28, 1667, Æ 34. Five children of the family. John Craft m. 2) Mar. 30, 1669 at Roxbury, Mary Hudson of Lynn, Mass., who d. at Roxbury Jan. 3, 1724/5. Five more children of the family.
• iii. Mary Craft, b. Oct. 10, 1632 at Roxbury, Mass., d. childless at Roxbury June 30, 1653, Æ 21; m. prior to her death, Joseph Griggs, who m. 2) at Roxbury Nov. 8, 1654, Hannah Davis, by whom he had eight children before his death at Roxbury Feb. 10, 1714/5, Æ 90. Second wife Hannah Davis d. at Roxbury Jan. 9, 1683/4.
• iv. Abigail Craft, b. Mar. 28, 1634 at Roxbury, Mass., d. Jan. 19, 1706/7 at Medfield, Mass., Æ 73; m. 1) Jan. 24, 1650/1 at Roxbury, Sgt. John Ruggles, s. of Thomas Ruggles & Mary Curtis, bapt. Jan. 6, 1624/5 at Nazeing in Essex, England. He d. at Roxbury Sept. 15, 1658, Æ 34. Five children of the family. Abigail m. 2) Nov 15, 1659 at Dedham, Mass. as his 2nd wife, Ens. Ralph Day, who d. at Dedham Nov. 28, 1677. One child of the marriage. Alice m. 3) Dec. 7, 1678 at Dedham as his third wife, Ens. Edward Adams, Jr., s. of Edward Adams & Edith Squire, bapt. Apr. 19, 1629 at Kingweston in Somerset, England. He d. Nov. 12, 1716 at Medfield, Mass., Æ 88. Alice's 3rd husband was the younger brother of Ursula Adams, the 2nd wife of Alice's father Griffin.
• v. Lieut. Samuel Craft, b. Dec. 12, 1637 at Roxbury, Mass., d. in 1690 as a combatant under Capt. Andrew Gardner in the failed campaign of Gov. Phips against the French in Canada; m. Oct. 16, 1661 at Roxbury, Hannah Seaver, dau. of Robert Seaver & Hannah Ballard, b. Nov. 19, 1643 at Roxbury, Mass. where she d. Dec. 9, 1731, Æ 89. Eleven children of the family.
• vi. Sgt. Moses Craft, b. Apr. 28, 1639 at Roxbury, Mass., d. Dec. 30, 1718 at Wethersfield, Conn., Æ 80; m. June 24, 1667 at Roxbury, Rebecca Gardner, dau. of Peter Gardner & Rebecca Crooke, bapt. Nov. 9, 1647 at Roxbury and d. at an unknown date after Aug. 1, 1699. Five children of the family.
[1] The Crafts Family. A Genealogical and Biographical History of the Descendants of Griffin and Alice Craft of Roxbury, Mass., 1630-1890; by James M. Crafts and William F. Crafts (1893).
Revised 3/24/2019
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1600 - 1689 (89 years)
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