My Genealogy Hound

JAMES H. CRAWFORD. This gentleman was born September 23, 1828, in Cedarville Township, Greene County, on the farm where he now resides. His father died about a year after his birth, leaving a widow and three children, and although in poor health Mrs. Crawford managed to keep the family together and save the farm of one hundred acres which her husband had left. With her own hands she spun the thread, wove the cloth, and made their garments, and succeeded in sending the children to school until all had obtained fair educations. She lived to see the fruits of her efforts, as each one of the children settled well in life. Our subject being the youngest of the household band he remained at home with his mother, even after his marriage, until her death in 1868.

James Crawford, the father of our subject, was a son of Michael and Elinore (Leach) Crawford, of Rockbridge County, Va., where the first of the family located on coming from Ireland many years ago. He was born in that county, July 23, 1798, living until September 9, 1829. His wife was Miss Martha Leach, a daughter of James Leach, also of Rockbridge County and a granddaughter of John Leach, who was the father of Mrs. Elinore Crawford. The Leach family are of Scotch-Irish lineage, and are among the first families of Virginia. Judge J. H. Leach of Iowa, who died in 1878, was an uncle of our subject. The only sister of our subject is Elinore, Mrs. Henry Owens, who opened her eyes to the light in 1834. His only brother is Thomas, who was born in 1826.

A little incident in the life of Michael Crawford, grandfather of our subject, is worthy of preservation as illustrating the characteristics of the man. While still young and living in Virginia, he had purchased his brother’s share in an old family slave named Bob, whom on one occasion he took with him to Tennessee. There Mr. Crawford was working at his trade of brick laying and attended by the negro, for whom he was offered a fancy price. The young man told Bob of the offer, but the negro said he thought it would be wrong for his master to sell him among strangers, after he had spent his life in their service and raised all of his master’s mother’s children, having taken care of them from infancy. Mr. Crawford told the man if that was the way it looked to him, he should not be sold, but if he would go with him to Ohio he should be a free man. They came to this State in 1830, where Bob received his freedom and was married to the daughter of the Rev. Godfrey Brown (colored). He settled south of Xenia, on Caesar’s Creek, raising a family and living to be very old. He took the name of Robert Baker, but was better known as Bob Crawford.

The lady whom Mr. Crawford of our sketch chose for his life companion was Matilda, daughter of James and Sarah (Seldomridge) Patterson. Mrs. Crawford is an estimable woman whose domestic habits and virtues have been a blessing in her home. The union has been blessed by the birth of five children, four of whom survive. The oldest child is Martha J., a young lady who is now at home and is one of Greene Countys best known teachers, taking a commendable pride in the profession which she has chosen. The second born was Sarah Amanda, who died in 1882, at the age of twenty-two years. Following her in order of birth are John T., James W. and D. Leigh, who have received fine educations at the High School at Cedarville, and the younger of whom aspires to a thorough collegiate course. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford and daughter belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Cedarville. Mr. Crawford is numbered among the stanch Republicans of the county, always ready to do his share to insure the success of that party as he feels that the spirit of justice is interwoven in its political fabric and that the National welfare largely depends upon its success. It would be hard to find a family better deserving representation in a volume of this nature than that of James H. Crawford, or one whose history the biographical writer would take greater pleasure in recording.