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Death notices with Alison Clarke.  Interred together at Eltham Cemetery. Stone in good condition. Bessie's Grandmother ran an hotel in Sydney and looked after Bessie when William was at sea.  William disappeared, presumed drowned. Grandma could not cope with the hotel and little Bessie so she sent her, at age 9, to live with sisters Polly and Kitty Muir in Auckland. Went to a Ladies School. (source: Tess Craig 27/4/1997) "PEHIAKURA" Farm at Waipipi.  Home of Alexander (Sandy) and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Muir (nee Blunt) and family of ten plus two adopted nieces, Mary Muir daughter of John Muir and Bessie Blunt (Both lost mothers at birth)  From this it would appear that Polly and Kitty were related, by marriage, to Bessie.  Could they have been sisters of Sandy and John? Purchase of Pehiakura Farm David Thorburn Craig's birth cottage still stands in Symington and has been visited by Lindsay. Early photo of cottage, Marriage Cert., Bessie's death notice with Lindsay (now deceased).

Inscription:- Alex       Lizzie       Uncle Robt Corstorphine There is a Corstorphine in Dunedin, named after the original, which is 32 km from Biggar. Have a look at this map of Corstorphine.

Bessie Craig and Polly Muir Inscription:- Uncle Sandy & Lizzie brought up Granny Craig. Polly Muir is Uncle Sandy's neice

1855 The Sydney Morning Herald 28 August  DEATHS. Woolpack Inn, George-Street, John & Anne Boyd lost a daughter.
1855 The Sydney Morning Herald 29 August  DEATHS. On the 28th instant, Anne, aged 34 years, the beloved wife of John Boyd, Woolpack Inn, Sydney.
1859 The Hobart Town Daily Mercury 2 May "... Mr. Boyd's public house, the Woolpack Inn, adjoining the Haymarket ..."  John Boyd died before 8 October 1869
1860 Arrival of ship Duncan Dunbar from London, 10 December  Two passengers named Elizabeth Blunt, ages 50 & 24
1861 The Sydney Morning Herald 16 July  TO LET, the oldest established PUBLIC-HOUSE near the Haymarket, with superior accommodation for travellers ; also, good stabling for about fifty horses, &c.  Apply H. VAUGHAN, King-street East.
1862 the licenced victualer of the Woolpack Inn, George-st.  was John Boyd.
1862 The Sydney Morning Herald 22 February   FOR POSITIVE SALE.  WILLIAM-STREET, WOOLLOOMOOLOO.  MORT and CO. have been instructed to sell by public auction, at tbe Rooms. Pitt-street at 11 o'clock, on WEDNESDAY, 6th March, The following valuable FREEHOLD PROPERTIES-  1. THE RED HOUSE HOTEL a brick building on stone foundations, with slated roof, containing the following accommodation :-  IN BASEMENT-large kitchen and cellar  GROUND FLOOR-bar and bar parlour  FIRST FLOOR-balcony in front and rear, and three bedrooms.  Yard and other offices at the rear.  Theses premises stand on a block of land, having 20 FEET to WILLIAM-STREET, and 65 FEET to RILEY-STREET.  Thev are now let to Mr. BLUNT, and are licensed, and in full trade.
1863 Bessie BLUNT born, 12 Feb, Sydney,  Australia
1865 The Sydney Morning Herald 11 April NOTICE.-A Dark Bay HORSE, branded RH on neck (near side), left at the Woolpack Inn Hay Market on the 14th March last, by ANDREW BYRNE; unless the same be removed within fourteen days from this date it will be sold to pay expenses. WILLIAM BLUNT.
1865 The Sydney Morning Herald 2 August HOTEL TO LET, fitted up; small rent. Apply to W. Blunt, Woolpack Inn.
1866 The Sydney Morning Herald 13 March  CHALLENGE -Hearing that the owner of the Flying Buck is not satisfied with his last defeat with Slim Jim, I will run the Buck again-£30 to £25, once round Randwick, catch weights-with Slim Jim.  WILLIAM BLUNT.
1866 The Sydney Morning Herald 30 May  William Blunt was found guilty of furiously driving a horse and cart in York-street and for his offence was ordered to pay a penalty of £3.
1866 The Sydney Morning Herald 29 September MAGNIFICENT CITY INVESTMENT.  GEORGE-STREET.  That very valuable Freehold Property, The WOOLPACK INN, with the large Block of Land attached thereto, situated CLOSE to the HAYMARKET.  BY ORDER OF THE MORTGAGEE.  RICHARDSON and WRENCH have received instructions from the Mortgagee to sell by public auction, at the Rooms, Pitt-street, on MONDAY, 1st OCTOBER, at 11 o'clock, All that piece or parcel of land, containing by admeasurement one rood four perches, and situated in the city of Sidney, parish of St Lawrence, county of Cumberland, and colony of New South. Wales, and bounded on the east by Andrew Barnes' allotment, bearing east 38 degrees, north 180 links (118 feet 9½ inches), and an allotment bearing east 50 degrees, north 148 links (97 feet 8 inches) ; on the south by Susannah Adams' allotmont bearing west, 46 degrees 30 minutes, north 81 links (53 feet 5½ inches) ; on the west by George Richards' and Thomas Ryan's allotments, bearing south 46 degreos 30 minutes, west 310 links (204 feet 7 inches) ; and on the south by George-street, bearing south 31 degrees 30 minutes, east 83 links (54 feet 9 inches), being allotment No. 2 of section No. 2, described in the Government notice of the 8th day of June 1830, upon which is erected That very EXTENSIVE and VALUABLE PROPERTY known as the WOOLPACK INN, GEORGE-STREET, close to the HAY MARKET ; together with the double range of stabling, &c., as now occupied by Mr. WILLIAM BLUNT, licensed and in full trade.  This is beyond doubt one of the most valuable properties that have been offered for sale for a long time. The very large area of land, UPWARDS OF A QUARTER OF AN ACRE, taken in conjunction with its SPLENDID BUSINESS POSITION, entitles it to rank as a first-class CITY investment, returning a large income, and with great prospective advantages which will shortly be realised, on the erection of the NEW MARKETS by the City Corporation.  Full particulars of Title can be obtained on application to JOHN DAWSON, Esq., solicitor, 136. Pitt-street, Terms at sale.
1866 The Sydney Morning Herald 8 December WANTED, to purchase the GOODWILL of a small Dairy. Inquire W. Blunt, Woolpack Inn, Haymkt.
1867 The Official Post office directory of New South Wales page 328 Blunt, Wm., Woolpack Inn, 732 George st.
1867 The Sydney Morning Herald 1 June THE OLD WOOLPACK INN, Haymarket - WILLIAM BLUNT, to accommodate the patrons of the above Inn, has great pleasure to announce to them that he has increased the establishment by the addition of twenty Bedrooms, fitted with every comfort.  Settlers and others will find a great advantage in "putting up" at this inn.
1868 The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 4 February  Fatal Accident.--An inquiry was held before the City Coroner, at his office, yesterday, respecting the death of a man named Richard Wills, aged about 48 years, Charles E. Taylor, traveller, at present residing at the Woolpack Inn, Haymarket, stated that deceased was in the employ of Mr. Blunt, landlord of the hotel ; between 3 and 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon he saw deceased and a teamster enter a large stable to catch a horse ; the animal was loose in the stall; about five minutes afterwards he went to the stable and saw deceased lying, face downwards, in the next stall to that in which the horse was in, and bleeding profusely from the head ; the horse was a very wild one, and could not be caught by one man ; he saw a fresh impression of a horse's shoe on the rail dividing the stalls; he assisted to place deceased in a cab, and remove him to the Infirmary ; if there had been any quarrel between the teamster and deceased in the stable he must have heard it, from the position he was in ; he saw no weapon in the stable that would be likely to inflict the blow from which deceased was suffering, the teamster has since left Sydney, and he could not say where he had gone to. Dr. Rudolf Schuette, house physician at the Infirmary, stated that death had resulted from compound comminuted fracture of the skull, with wounding and protrusion of the brain.
Verdict -."Died from compression of the brain caused by fracture of the skull, but how the skull got fractured there is not sufficient evidence to show."
1868 A William Blunt was lost at sea and had not been recovered on 24 March
1868 The Argus 25 March  We regret to learn that a fatal accident has occurred off Point Lonsdale, by which the lives of six men, who were engaged in recovering goods from the wreck of the ship Light of the Age, have been sacrificed. It appears that a boat was returning from the wreck to the shore on Monday night. There were nine men in it, and when in the breakers it capsized, and three only of those on board were able to reach the shore. The persons drowned were-Richard Harvoy, of Sandridge, who leaves a widow and five children ; David Randall, Sandridge (a diver), who has also left a widow and five children ; John Wilson (a diver) ; William Blunt ; John Sinclair, who had a wife and two children ; and a man known as Harry, who was lately in the Sailors' Home. The bodies have not been recovered.
1868 The Argus 31 March  We learn by telegram from Point Lonsdale that two of the bodies of the men recently drowned have been washed ashore.  One of them was that of William Blunt.  It was fearfully decomposed. The other body was that of Randall, the diver. It could only be recognised by the apparel.  Inquests were held yesterday on the bodies.
1868 The Sydney Morning Herald 3 June  WANTED, GIRL, to mind a baby. Mrs.Blunt, Woolpack Inn, Haymarket, 8 to 9 o'clock
1868 The Sydney Morning Herald 4 June  Henry Brettt was charged with stealing a saddle, the property of Henry Beit. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and was undefended. Mr. Butler conducted the prosecution. It seemed that on the morning of the 6th May, the saddle was missed and on the same day it was taken to Blunt's Woolpack Inn, and left there by the prisoner. Some time afterwards the prisoner met a man named Reading in the street and offered him a job which he said would last only about ten minutes. Reading went with prisoner, who took him to the Woolpack Inn and showed him the saddle. At prisoner's request Reading took up the saddle and they went to a saddler's, where prisonor wanted to get money on the article. Reading's suspicions were aroused, he gave information to the police, the saddle was identified as Mr. Beit's proporly, and the prisoner was arrested. The jury, without leaving the box, found the prisoner guilty, and the gaol records shewed that he had been convicted four times previously. He was remanded for sentence.
1868 The Sydney Morning Herald 11 July  £1 REWARD.-LOST, a GOLD ALBERT GUARD, between the Haymarket and Kent-street. The finder will obtain the above Reward on bringing the same to Mr. Blunt, Woolpack Inn, Haymarket.
1869 The Sydney Morning Herald  28 August, Lost and Found  LOST, a crossed CHEQUE, for the sum of ten pounds, on the Cily Bank, drawn by William Cowell, of Picton, in favour of David Hopper, of Picton. Payment of which is stopped at the bank. WILLIAM BLUNT, Woolpack, Haymarket.
1870 The Sydney Morning Herald 16 March AUCTION SALE, at the WOOLPACK INN, HAYMARKET.  ANDREW ALLAN has received instructions from Mr. Blunt (who is retiring from the " hotel business " to sell by auction, on the above premises, on TUESDAY, 22nd instant, at 11 o'clock,  The stock-in-trade, horse, harness, buggy, cow, household furniture, &c.  THE TWO BAR PARLOURS contain - Sofas, couches, tables, chairs, oil paintings, engravings, loo tables, &c.  THE DININGROOM contains - Dining tables, chairs couches, engravings, carpets, &c.  THE 23 BEDROOMS contain Double and single iron bedsteads and bedding, double and single cedar bedsteads and bedding, washstands and sets, toilet tables and glasses. All the rooms are well furnished.  THE KITCHEN contains - Cooking apparatus, tables, crockery, &c.  The house contains every requisite for a first-class hotel or boarding-house.  In the yard are horses, harness, new and old saddle and bridle, &c.  A milch cow, one of the best milkers in Sydney. A four wheeled buggy, an emu, and a great variety of sundries.  N.B.-The whole will be sold off without reserve, to make room for improvements being made by the incoming tenant.
1870 The Sydney Morning Herald 1 December  GOOLD, STEPHEN STYLES, of Botany Road, nominated by William Blunt
 
 

	William Clark CRAIG Farmer, Annieston, Lanarkshire, Scotland b. 12 July 1834	Robert CRAIG Jemima CLARK
Robert CRAIG b. 1856 d. 30 Mar 1857 age 10 mths James McLean CRAIG b. 1858, Symington d. 24 July 1923, Papakura, New Zealand Marion McLean CRAIG b. 1859, Symington Spinster d. 7 Feb 1938, Papakura, New Zealand Jemima Clarke CRAIG b. 1860 d. 17 Jan 1861 age 5 mths	1) Mary McLEAN b. 1828 d. 22 March 1861 age 33 yrs Interred at Biggar Churchyard.
David Thorburn CRAIG Jemima Clarke CRAIG b. Jan 1865 Moved to Australia. John CRAIG b. 30 Jan 1866 d. 28 Feb 1866 age 29 days Jane Cleghorn CRAIG b. May 1867 d. 1 Dec 1911 age 44 yrs Henry Riddell CRAIG b. abt 1869 Chemist. Moved to Bristol, Connecticut, USA Andrew Thorburn CRAIG b. 1870 d. 10 July 1871 age 9 mths Jessie Brown CRAIG b. abt 1872 Robert Ainslie CRAIG b. abt 1874 Elizabeth Alexander CRAIG b. June 1877 d. 1 July 1878 age 12 mths James Thorburn CRAIG b. abt 1879 William Clark CRAIG b. Sept 1881 d. 5 May 1885 age 3 yrs 8 mths Edward Jackson CRAIG b. abt 1883	2) Catharine Sommerville THORBURN c. 18 Mar 1842, Symington, Lanarkshire, Scotland m. 12 Aug 1862, Symington, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. 1885 aged 42 yrs. Interred at Biggar Churchyard. There was some speculation that she was the wife about whom it was said that her death was "mysterious", causing the authorities of the time to have her body exhumed.  Other members of her family are said to have been easily upset. One died tragically by his own hand as a result of his volatile nature.	David THORBURN Flour miller?? Symington Jean CLEGHORN
Agnes Cleghorn CRAIG b. abt 1888	3) Catherine Somerville CLEGHORN m. abt 1887 (May have been a servant at Annieston and probably related to the second wife, Catharine.)

William became a farmer, particularly on the farm known as Annieston, close to Symington and about 3 miles west of Biggar.  This farm is of gently rolling fertile land and among the buildings there is still an undershot waterwheel which perhaps ground the flour for the bakery in the days when the Craig family were the owners.  William may have inherited the farm, at age 19, on the death of his father.  A small part of the farm has been subdivided as a residential street, Annieston Place.  Close by is a Motte, the remains of a defensive position consisting of a small conical hill built by the labour of Norman soldiers which would have had a little wooden fort at the top.

Possibility: Jean CLEGHORN
Christening: 26 Jan 1812, Symington, Lanark, Scotland
Father: John CLEGHORN
Mother: Catherine.  I suspect her name may have been Catherine Sommerville, and possibly descended from Alexander Sommerville (born around 1704 in Midlothian) and Ann Scott.   There should have been plenty of  Somervilles in Lanark, they had been in the area before the twelfth century. There was a Catharine Sommerville, born 21 Oct 1794 in Dalkeith, Midlothian.

Carnwath is home to a number of sites of historic interest.  On the golf course, there is a striking motte (or castle mound) dating to the twelfth century. The motte and St. Mary's Aisle were built by the Somerville family.

John CRAIG  b. July 1827 d. 14 Jan 1828 age 6 mths John CRAIG  b. Dec 1828 d. 11 July 1829 age 8 mths Janet CRAIG  b. 30 Apr 1830	Robert CRAIG Baker b. 1786 m. early 1826, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. 6 Jan 1852	John CRAIG Jean IRELAND
Jane Ireland CRAIG  b. 5 Aug 1831, Netherwell, Scotland m. Henry ALEXANDER, 11 June 1861, Papakura (at the home of the bride), New Zealand Henry arrived in NZ with his parents on the “Duchess of Argyle,” in 1842 d. 1905  Both interred at Waipipi,  New Zealand Jessie Brown CRAIG  b. 1831 m. Edward JACKSON, 1859, Little Well, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. 1911, Interred at Newlands, Peeblesshire, Scotland William Clark CRAIG Elizabeth CRAIG b. 2 July 1837, Netherwell, Biggar Thought to be a twin of William. m. Lawrence Oliphant ROY abt 1859 and went to New Zealand shortly after. d. 20 June 1920, Interred at Papakura, beside Jemima. Robert CRAIG b. 10 Oct 1835 Farmed at Waipipi m. Jane WALLACE 20 March 1866 Link	Jemima CLARK b. 1799 d. 6 June 1884, New Zealand Interred at Papakura cemetery. S37.06957, E174.94505	William CLARK Merchant b. 1753 m. abt 1782 d. 1807 Janet BROWN b. 1755 d. 1824 Stone in Biggar Churchyard to William, Janet, son Alexander and daughter Elizabeth.

26 Sep 1859, Jemima, Robert, Jane and Eliza Craig arrive in Auckland on the Tornado.

9 July 1863, Governor Grey ordered that all Maori living between Auckland and Waikato should be expelled south of the Mangatawhiri River unless they take an oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria.

14 July 1863, two settlers were killed at Shepherd's Bush, recorded in Henry Ancrum: A Tale of the Last War in New Zealand, Volume 1, chapter XII.

17 July 1863, in Shepherd's Bush, near Bombay, Jemima had a bullet pass through her shawl when a Maori war party attacked a convoy of carts she was travelling with.  She was with Jane and Henry Alexander  and their baby, Frederick. Shepherd's Bush was named after it's first settler, but is not on modern maps and there is hardly a tree to be seen there any more.  The attack ocurred in the vicinity of what is now Ambush Road, Ramarama.  Earlier that day near Mercer, the Battle of Koheroa took place.

In a letter to the Illustrated London News, dated Auckland, July 1st, 1863, the Rev. John Kinder describes this attack: 'On the 14th of this month the first victims of the war in Auckland were an old man, named Meredith, and his son, a mere lad, who were at work at Shepherd's Bush, between Drury and the River Waikato. Since then three others have been shot in cold blood; and on the 17th an escort conveying supplies to the front was attacked by an ambuscade, when 4 men were shot down and 10 wounded.'

This attack was the first of a series of surprise attacks on British convoys and pickets along the Great South Road. On the 17th of July a war party of Kingites led by Hori Ngakapa and some other chiefs, laid an ambuscade on the forest road about a mile and a half from the Sheppard's Bush Redoubt. A convoy of six carts, escorted by fifty men of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment was passing along the road from the Queen's Redoubt to Drury.
The escort was marching at ease, unsuspicious of danger, when heavy fire was opened from both sides of the road. The first volley killed and wounded several soldiers, and some of the cart horses were hit. The natives attempted to cut off the rearguard of about a dozen men from the main body, but the party charged with the bayonet and fought their way through. The convoy was set under way again and the soldiers resumed their march, doing their best to keep off the Maoris until reinforcements arrived. Earlier in July this area had been the scene of the first casualties of the war in Auckland when a settler named Meredith and his son were killed while working at Sheppard's Bush.  Source: http://www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/research/digitalresources/docs/cat49.pdf page 7

About four miles from Drury is Shepherd's Bush, a small redoubt occupied by the militia.  Up to this point the country adjoining the great south road which leads to the Queen's Redoubt is clear of bush, and there is little danger of our convoys being attacked.  A little beyond  Shepherd's Bush the forest extends across the country in an unbroken line about ten miles broad till it reaches the mouth of the Waikato River.  The forest has been cut down to a distance of some three hundred yards on either side of the road to prevent the enemy from firing upon our escorts.
It was near this spot that a party of the 18th Royal Irish, under the command of Captain Ring and Ensign Bicknell, were attacked on the 17th of July 1863.  The bush came so close up to the road that the enemy could fire upon them at the distance of a few yards without being seen.  The escort had charge of a number of waggons loaded with the property of fugitive setters and was divided into two parties, one being in front and the other in the rear.  The object of the enemy was to attack the two parties in succession, but the coolness and courage of Ensign Bicknell, a young officer who had never been under fire before, prevented them from doing so.  The loss on both sides was considerable, but the Maoris were at length driven back into the bush.  Source: Fraser's magazine for town and country, 1864,Volume 36, page 411

Six days after the headquarters of the battalion had reached the Queen's redoubt Captain Ring, with Ensign Bicknell, two sergeants, and forty-seven rank and file, was sent in charge of a convoy to Drury. The track passed through a forest, thus described by an officer of great experience of campaigning in the forests of many parts of the British Empire : " The bush of New Zealand is wonderfully dense and entangled. A European going into it about twenty yards and turning round three times is quite at a loss to find his way out again unless he is somewhat of an Indian path-finder and can judge of the points of the compass by the bark of the trees, the sun, &c. Trying to run through the bush one is tripped up by the supplejack and other creepers."  While on the march Ring fell into an ambuscade of about 140 Maoris; fire was opened by invisible enemies upon his advance-guard, his right flank, and his rear ; a driver and two horses in the centre of the convoy fell wounded the line of waggons was thrown into confusion, and the Maoris attacked his left flank. He retired immediately with as many men as he could concentrate, and, in skirmishing order, kept the enemy at bay for some time ; then seemg
himself nearly surrounded he retreated into a settler's farm, which he held until some of Inman's detachment at Drury extricated him from his dangerous situation. In this affair four men were killed and ten wounded. Source: The Campaigns and History of the Royal Irish Regiment From 1684 to 1902 by Lieutenant-Colonel G. le M. Gretton, page 201

The wounded men were got into carts, and the infantry returned to Drury.  Lieut. Rait and his mounted men galloped on towards Pokeno, to appraise the General of the attack, but met a strong reinforcement of the 40th and 18th regiments coming to the support of the escort at Mandeno's bridge. The news had been conveyed to the General by the settlers who had fled precipitately for protection to the camp, when the escort were assailed.  The expedition from Pokeno returned, and the troopers arrived at the Drury camp a few minutes after the infantry.  Source: Papers Past > Daily Southern Cross > 18 Hongongoi 1863 > Page 3 > THE WAR IN AUCKLAND. ENGAGEMENTS AT SHEPHERD'S BUSH AND KOHEROA. HEAVY LOSSES

There are many Browns in Lucy Helen Prideaux's birthday book.  Were they related?  Did she know if they were related?  Jemima died in NZ, so there is a possibility that Alex knew if there was a relationship.

Marion CRAIG b. 1778 d. 19 Jan 1829 Robert CRAIG	John CRAIG Baker b. 1743, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland m. abt 1776 d. 15 Dec 1827 Interred at Biggar Churchyard.	Robert CRAIG Agnes AINSLIE
	Jean (Jane) IRELAND b. 1746 d. 17 Nov 1787

Marion was 9 years old when her mother died and probably became of the utmost importance to the household, looking after her baby brother and maintaining a home for the family.

John CRAIG (third son) Baker b. 1743 Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. 17 Nov 1827	Robert CRAIG Baxter (baker) m. 1731, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland d. abt 1809
	Agnes AINSLIE

1713 Thomas Carmchael born.  By early 1745 he had married a Miss Violet Craig.  Possibly a sister of Robert.  Thomas died 11 Nov 1749. Interred at Biggar Churchyard.

1680 First title to the town section at 131 High Street, Biggar where the bakery was built.  This is the present 131-133 High Street.  These were rebuilt, probably by the Craigs in the 1835-1845 period.  The house upstairs is now entered from a small square behind and has been somewhat altered.  The bakehouses in the square are all reorganised into houses and stores and probably bear little resemblance to what they were like in the Craig's day.

Over the years there was much acquisition of property, fields around Biggar and the farm of Annieston at Symington, about three miles west of Biggar.  The house is Victorian, but built on old foundations. Annieston Farm has many sites of archaeological interest, some dating back 2000 years BC.  Some can be seen from Google Earth.

Little Well, now Annavale, another family property, is just north of Biggar and was formerly a croft with houses for workers.  All of these are knocked into one now.
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