Crawford, Leander

LEANDER CRAWFORD.

James Crawford and Mary Wilkin, his wife, were members of the congregation at Golen, Ireland; received from the church there a certificate, recommending them to any congregation in America where Providence may order their lot to be cast, as free from scandal, creditable persons, innocent and blameless. A copy of this certificate made here in 1727 is now in possession of their descendants, and the original was signed by Robert Colpheart, and dated June, 1718.

They were among the earliest settlers of what is now the town of Crawford, Orange Co., and the town took its name from them.

Their children born here are John, born Dec. 15, 1719; James, Jan. 21, 1722; Jane, March 3, 1724; David, Aug. 11, 1729; Samuel, June 9, 1732; and Joseph, Feb. 21, 1734. Of these, Samuel was great-grandfather of our subject, and had a son John, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, married Sarah Barkley, who bore him the following children: Robert I.; Andrew, was a tanner and currier in Mount Hope; George; Nancy; Sally, wife of Daniel G. Shaver, of Crawford; John B., spent most of his life in Crawford, and died at Havana, N.Y.; Israel, was a farmer in Crawford; Eleanor, wife of Nathan Crawford, a resident of Chemung Co., N.Y.; Julia, wife of Jonathan C. Gillespie, resides at Pine Bush; Keturah, wife of Harvey Harris, of Bloomingburgh. Of these children, only Julia survives in 1881, and is about eighty years of age.

John Crawford spent his life as a farmer in his native town, was a member and elder of the Presbyterian Church at Hopewell, and resided upon and owned some 500 acres of land.

His eldest son, Robert I. Crawford, was father of Leander, and resided upon 100 acres of the homestead during his life. He was an elder and active and influential member of the Hopewell church nearly his whole life, and gave liberally of his means for its support. His counsels were often sought by his fellow-citizens, and as an arbiter, administrator, or executor he served his friends nearly the whole of his business career.

He never sought public place, and never held office in the town except to serve for some time as assessor. He was hospitable, social, frank, and honest, and died in 1861, aged seventy-seven years.

His wife was Deborah, daughter of Benjamin Dickerson, of Crawford, but formerly from Long Island. She died several years prior to her husband. Their children were: Emeline; Millicent, deceased; Leander; John Addison, a farmer in Crawford; Albert, deceased, was a farmer in Crawford, and died near Orange Lake, where he had removed; George, of Middletown, was formerly a farmer in Crawford; Sally Ellen, wife of N.H. Harris, of Montgomery, died in 1880; Esther; Robert, a farmer in Crawford, on a part of the old homestead settled by his grandfather; Theron, resides on the homestead of his father; and Angeline, wife of Stansbury Gillespie, of Crawford. Leander, eldest son of Robert I. Crawford, was born Oct. 2, 1810. Being the eldest son of a large family of children, his opportunities for an education were limited to a few months at the district school, and his whole minority was spent in assisting his father on the farm. He married, Jan. 23, 1838, Nancy A., daughter of Samuel Barclay and Agnes McCurdy, of Crawford, and granddaughter of Robert McCurdy, of Crawford, who died Sept. 15, 1807, aged eighty-five years. Her father, Samuel Barclay, was in the commissary department in the Revolutionary war, and died April 17, 1814, aged seventy-six years. Her mother died Sept. 26, 1844, aged eighty years.

The Barkleys and McCurdys were farmers in the town of Crawford, prominent and influential citizens, and members of the Good-Will Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Crawford was born Jan. 9, 1808.

For one year after his marriage, Mr. Crawford resided on a farm at Searsville, and for twenty-one years following he was a farmer at Collabar, in his native town. In 1858, on account of ill health, he removed to Middletown, where he has since resided, and where he has been connected somewhat with the interests of the village. He was a director in the Wallkill Bank, from its organization until its close, and was trustee of the village for one term. He was a member and deacon of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church during his residence there for many years, and since his residence in Middletown he has been a liberal supporter of church and kindred interests, and has served some sixteen years as an elder in the Second Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Crawford has been often chosen as executor and guardian, and in the discharge of the varied duties of those positions his integrity remains unimpaired, and his duties have always been discharged with a conscientious desire to deal justly with all.

In his early manhood he took an active part in the training and drill of the militia, and his commission of lieutenant Twenty-eighth Regiment New York Infantry is signed by Governor Throop, and dated June 20, 1829.

His children are James B., born Nov. 2, 1838, was a lumber merchant in Chicago, where he died Oct. 24, 1866; Anna, is the wife of Alsop Purdy, a merchant of Middletown; and Ellen B., is the wife of Albert Bull, a druggist of Middletown.