The Origins of Thomas Crail Sr.

I am going to begin the Crail line with Thomas Sr. because the details on the various men who have been named as his father are sketchy, at best. A John Creal has been one of the most common "fathers" of Thomas. He was born in 1656, married Ann _____  by 1676 and fathered his only son, Thomas in 1720. John was from England, emigrated to either Scotland or Virginia before 1685. His son was born in Scotland. Thomas Creel/Creal and Hannah Kenner of Scotland are also commonly appear as parents. At least their births are reasonable, about 1695 and 1700, in Scotland, England or Ireland.

(1)Thomas Crail Sr. is regularly reported as 1720. One report has his birth as 1685 and another as 1726.Virginia, Westmoreland Co., VA, Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Mann appear as places of birth; however, Scotland is the most common origin given. Nearly every report has Thomas' death as about 1790 in Harford Co., MD.

In all likelihood, Thomas Crail was born in Scotland about 1720 and died about 1790 in Harford Co., MD.

(2) Elizabeth Ann Wilson, Elizabeth Ann "Jane" Wilson and Jane Wilson are names given for Thomas' wife. She is consistently shown as born in Pennsylvania, generally Chester Co., in 1724. Her death appears as early as 1741, but generally 1770. The location is given as Richmond, Chesterfield, VA or Raccoon Creek, Beaver Co., PA. If Thomas survived Jane, it is moe likely that she died in Maryland. Many reports give her father as Nathaniel Wilson, James Nathaniel Wilson or James Wilson. In examining the information given on Nathaniel Wilson, it appears that this Wilson line was based in Massachusetts and never made it as far south as Pennsylvania. Nathaniel seems to be a convenient add-on for Mrs. Crail's father. Jame Nathaniel? Somebody realized Nathaniel didn't fit and  mixed Nathaniel and James into one person. I also think that Elizabeth Ann "Jane" is a similar convenience.

The wife of Thomas Crail was probably Jane Wilson, born c1724 in Pennsylvania [probably Chester Co.] and died about 1770, possibly in Raccoon Creek, Beaver Co., PA. Jane's father was James Wilson.

(3) Children: In various combinations, the Crail children were Thomas [c1743], John Boggs [c1745], Mary [c1749], Phillip [c1750], Jane [c1751?], Richard [1751?], Alice [c1752], Elizabeth [c1753], William [c1755] and James [c1760]. All were reportedly born in Maryland; either Frederick or Harford County.

Dealing in the shadowy region of speculation, Thomas arrived in Pennsylvania or Maryland before 1740. He probably came from Scotland with his family, some reports claim he came over with a brother named Samuel. Thomas met and married Jane Wilson by about 1741. The couple seems to have settled in Harford Co., MD by the mid-1740s and spent the remainder of their lives there.

I could be wrong!