What the Forbes Book Adds (and What It Doesn’t)
As I continue working through the Craig and Crawford families of Augusta County, Virginia, I’ve been revisiting a familiar compiled source: Descendants of Alexander & Mary McPheeters Crawford. This book, compiled by Amanda Crawford Arbogast Forbes and Lucetta Crawford Sammis, is widely used in Crawford research—and for good reason.
But like all compiled genealogies, it raises an important question:
What does this source actually prove—and how does it compare to the original records?
The Crawford Parents: A Well-Known Line
Before diving into the Craig connections, it’s important to place Samuel and Martha Crawford within their family.
According to the Forbes compilation, both were children of:
- Alexander Crawford
- Mary McPheeters
This couple is well established in Augusta County, Virginia, and appears frequently in Crawford research. Their children include:
- Samuel Crawford (b. 1759; d. 1795)
- John Crawford
- William Crawford (d. 1792)
- Martha Crawford (b. ca. 1757/58; d. 1828)
- (and others not discussed here)
The identification of Samuel and Martha as siblings is clearly supported within the compiled work and aligns with other known Crawford research.
What the Forbes Book Says About the Craig Connections
The Forbes entries for Samuel Crawford and Martha Crawford provide several key pieces of information:
- Samuel Crawford married Elizabeth Craig, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Craig
- Martha Crawford married Alexander Craig, son of Samuel and Margaret Craig
This gives us two confirmed connections between the families:
- Crawford ↔ Craig (Samuel ↔ Elizabeth)
- Crawford ↔ Craig (Martha ↔ Alexander)
The book goes one step further and suggests a broader pattern:
That Crawford siblings and Craig siblings intermarried across the two families
This interpretation is based on the relationships described in the text, particularly the statement that Alexander Craig was a brother of Elizabeth Craig, who married Samuel Crawford, “brother of his wife Martha.”
How This Compares to the Original Records
When we compare the Forbes book to the original records (deeds and marriage records), several important points emerge.
What the Records Confirm
The original records support key elements of the compiled narrative:
- The 1790 marriage record confirms:
- Samuel Crawford married Elizabeth Craig
- The 1798 deeds confirm:
- Elizabeth Crawford is an heir of Samuel Craig
- Alexander Craig is also an heir
- The Craig and Crawford families are closely connected through land transactions
Together, these align well with the relationships described in the Forbes book.
Where the Book Goes Further
However, the Forbes compilation also extends beyond the direct evidence in a few areas:
- It implies that John Crawford was part of the same sibling group and possibly married into the Craig family
- It presents the Craig–Crawford intermarriages as a broader, interconnected sibling network
While these conclusions are reasonable—and even likely—they are not fully documented in the original records currently in hand.
Using Compiled Sources Carefully
This is a great example of how compiled genealogies function in research.
The Forbes book:
✔ Provides valuable context
✔ Connects multiple records into a narrative
✔ Suggests relationships worth investigating
But it also:
⚠ Blends documented facts with informed interpretation
⚠ Does not always distinguish clearly between the two
A Balanced View of the Craig–Crawford Network
By combining the compiled source with original records, we can arrive at a careful, evidence-based understanding:
Supported by Both Sources
- Samuel Crawford (son of Alexander Crawford & Mary McPheeters) married Elizabeth Craig
- Martha Crawford (his sister) married Alexander Craig
- The Craig family (children of Samuel and Margaret Craig) appears as a cohesive group in 1798 deeds
Suggested by the Compiled Source
- Additional intermarriage between the families (e.g., John Crawford)
- A broader sibling-to-sibling network
Why This Matters
The Crawford–Craig connection is more than just an interesting family story—it’s a reminder of how genealogy works.
- Original records give us evidence
- Compiled sources give us interpretation
- Good research requires us to separate and evaluate both
In this case, the Forbes book provides a helpful roadmap—but the deeds and marriage records allow us to test and refine that map.
Final Thoughts
I’ll continue to use the Forbes compilation as part of this research—it’s too valuable to ignore. But I’ll also continue to ask:
- What does the book prove?
- What does it suggest?
- And what still needs to be documented?
Because in genealogy, the goal isn’t just to build a family tree—it’s to build one that rests on solid evidence.
Citation
Amanda Crawford Arbogast Forbes and Lucetta Crawford Sammis, comps., Descendants of Alexander & Mary McPheeters Crawford: Pioneer Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1980).