Genealogy

 I have gotten (way) into genealogy lately. I have always been interested in it and found myself getting sucked in for a few weeks here and there, but this time I am being purposeful about my research and taking notes about what I am doing, who I have researched and who still needs further exploration. 

It's one of those projects that never ends because there is just so. much. information.

But I do find it fascinating and I have learned so much about not only my family, but DuBose's and the history of SC. On one of my recent searches on the internet, I came across a blog written by a distant cousin. It seemed like she had lots of information on a particular branch of the family we share so I did some detective work and tracked her down through Facebook. 

And then I did what we teach our kids not to do and read about in the nightly news (ha!) - I messaged her and assured her I wasn't some crazy lady. This was easy enough to do because SC is small and we had lots of mutual Facebook friends in common so I told her she could check me out through them. She and I ended up speaking on the phone recently and she gave me a ton of helpful information, including the location of our ancestors' cemetery.

And since this cemetery happens to be on our way home from the mountains in Pickens we were able to stop by today and check it out.

My 5th great grandfather, John Craig sailed from Larne, Ireland to Charleston in 1772. He served during the Revolution, 1776-1782, primarily in the Whig (rebel) militia of the New Acquisition District and was briefly assigned to the First Brigade of South Carolina’s Continental Line in 1782. Afterwards he moved to what is now Anderson County on a branch of the Saluda River with his first wife Catherine Clarke. She died in childbirth of their only child and he married his 2nd wife, Catherine Wilson, (a neighbor of his and my 5th great grandmother) shortly afterward. In the early1790’s, John Craig and Catherine Wilson moved their family to a 500-acre plantation located on the east side of the Keowee River in present-day Pickens County.

John and Catherine had 9 children, one of them Robert Craig, my 4th great grandfather. 

Obviously, there are a lot of Craigs and a lot of them are still in the Upstate of SC.  They formed an association with an elected Board of Trustees and an archivist (who happens to be my long lost cousin I found on Facebook:), This group takes care of the upkeep and operations of this cemetery in Pickens where the original Craigs an some current day Craigs are buried.

(My first cousin, Molly, married a Craig - they are 4th or 5th cousins, far enough apart not to matter) and his father was just buried in this cemetery last year.)

A lot of backstory - BUT we stopped by and saw the cemetery. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking around. I enjoyed it that much more now that I know who all of these people are that are buried here and what my connection to them is.

My 4th great grandparents, Robert and Rachel Ann Speed's headstones.

You can't read what is on the original John Craig's tombstone anymore due to wear over the years but they have this engraving at the foot of it so you can read what it once said.

It was a great stop and I hope we can make it to one of the Craig Family Reunions that they hold here every year. I think it would be great fun to meet everyone and hear their stories.