The Craigs

My cousin Craig works at CBS and he asked news correspondent Kenneth Craig if he could do a quick Happy Birthday video for my dad, Ken Craig. Kenneth Craig says in the video that he's never met anybody before with the same name. 

The Craig name is as old as Scotland. Older, maybe, as it is considered by some to have been given to a group of Picts who lived in the rocks, or crags. Our family tartan is made to look like moss covered rock and is, unlike most tartans, actually very beautiful. 

Our clan crest is of a knight in full charge, riding into battle with a broken lance and our motto is 'Jai Bonne Esperance', which means 'I have Good Hope'. They used to say of the Craigs, 'Well, they're not very bright, but they're optimistic!'

The name Craig was originally pronounced and spelled in several ways, like Craik, Craegh and Craigie. Most immigrants to the US, Canada and Australia took the opportunity to re-spell their name Craig, which just sounds better, including our great grandmother, so I'm told. 

My dad and I and all the first born sons in our family were born James Kenneth Craig or James Kenneth Craik. My dad goes by Ken and I go by Jay, which was a compromise. My dad, of course, wanted to name me James Kenneth Craig. My mom wanted to name me Damian, which would have been cool, too. So they named me James Kenneth Craig but gave me the nickname Jay. 

There are many notable Craigs and Craiks who have left their mark on history. James Craig was the architect of New Town in Edinburgh, which is pretty fucking cool. James Craik, however, killed the Father of Our Country. James Craik was Scottish and came to this country and became the Surgeon General of the US Army. He also became a good friend and personal doctor to George Washington. When George Washington got ill, Dr James Craik gave him a good old-fashioned blood letting, whether he needed it or not. 

If I ever had a son, I would have voted to name him Kenneth. I never did but when I rescued a Cairn Terrier, I named him Kenny. A couple years ago, after having him for ten years, Kenny retired and went to live in Connecticut with my parents. Kenny immediately attached himself to my parents and I'm sure that while my dad was watching Kenneth Craig say that he'd never met another Ken Craig before, Kenny was right there at my dad's feet. 

UPDATE!!

My cousin Johnny has been doing some research on Craigs/Craiks and found something veerry interesting... 

It is an honest-to-freaking-god Mason membership card from a relative named George Washington Craik!! Of course the Freemasons killed the Father of Our Country. And of course our great grandmother changed our family name from Craik to Craig!

It's all beginning to makes sense!

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