Col. William CRAFORD^[1]

1691 - 1762  (70 years)

• Name	William CRAFORD
  Title	Col.
  Prefix	Col.
  Birth	Before 16 Jul 1691  [2]
  	William's parents had died prior to 16 July 1691, when his grandfather William Craford presented an inventory of his son's and daughter-in-law's estate to the Lower Norfolk County Court.
  Gender	Male
  anecdote	Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [3]
  	Col. Craford was a wealthy merchant and ship owner, who served at different periods as presiding justice of the Norfolk County Court, Norfolk County High Sheriff and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
  land patent	1716	Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [4]
  	In 1716 William was granted 1129 acres in the southwest angle formed by the Elizabeth River and its Southern Branch in Norfolk Co, VA. Thirty-six years later, in 1752, William set aside 65 acres of his plantation as a little town, which he named Portsmouth, after the great English port. Dividing the property in half-acre lots, he set aside the four corners of High Street and Court Street for a church, a market, a court house and a jail respectiveley. Portsmouth's oldest church, Trinity Protestant Episcopal, was built in 1762, and though the structure has been rebuilt and remodeled several times, it still stands on the half-acre lot donated by William.
  anecdote	15 Sep 1748	Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [5]
  	He qualified as County Lieutenant [chief officer] of the County Colonial Militia on 15 Sep 1748.
  OFFH	18 Oct 1749 - 20 Nov 1759	Elizabeth River Parish, Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [6]
  	William served as a vestryman in Elizabeth River Parish from its inception on 18 October 1749 through the meeting of 20 November 1759. During that 10 year period he was absent from only one vestry meeting, the one held on 26 October 1756. An Act of Assembly dated 6 April 1761 dissolved the original Elizabeth River Parish and divided it into three new parishes: Elizabeth River Parish, Portsmouth Parish and St. Brides Parish.
  anecdote	Jun 1761	Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [7]
  	William was elected to the vestry of Portsmouth Parish in Jun 1761.
  Death	1762
  Will	27 Jan 1762	Portsmouth, Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [8]
  Will Recorded	Apr 1762	Norfolk Co, Virginia Colony   [8]
  Person ID	I56866	mason
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

  Father	George CRAFORD   d. Before 16 Jul 1691
  Mother	Abigail MASON   d. Bef 16 Jul 1691
  Marriage	Bef 14 May 1690  [9]
  	The couple had married prior to 14 May 1690 when by deed-of-gift Lemuel Mason transferred all "right titell and intrest that I have to one third part of an illand called Whites Illand sittuat lying and being in Corat[uck] in North Carolina with all that part or stock of cattle.....".
  Family ID	F4508	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  February 27th 1752- established as the Town of Portsmouth by act of General Assembly and named for Portsmouth, England, by its founder – Col. William Crawford – who dedicated the four corners of High and Court Streets for a church, a market, a courthouse, and a jail. March 5th 1761 - Portsmouth Parish established by Act of General Assembly and Portsmouth Parish Church, now Trinity Church (corner of High and Court Streets), built in 1762.

  
  

• Sources

  [S1] Charles Fleming McIntosh, McIntosh, Lower Norfolk County & Norfolk County Wills 1637-1710, ((1914, Rpt. Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, n.d.)). pp. 172-173: William Crawford will (1700) [Book 6, f. 181]. [S4558] George & Abigail Craford inventory (1691), Norfolk Co, VA Deed Book 5, pp. 159a-160. [S2003] Rogers Dey Whichard, Ph.D. (author & editor), Whichard, The History Of Lower Tidewater Virginia, ((New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, 1959) ). Vol. II, p. 2. [S2003] Rogers Dey Whichard, Ph.D. (author & editor), Whichard, The History Of Lower Tidewater Virginia, ((New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, 1959) ). Vol II, pp. 2 & 13. [S2003] Rogers Dey Whichard, Ph.D. (author & editor), Whichard, The History Of Lower Tidewater Virginia, ((New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, 1959) ). Vol. I, p. 299. [S4556] Alice Granbery Walter, editor, Walter, Vestry Book of Elizabeth River Parish 1749 - 1761, (New York: by the editor, 1967). pp. 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 & 35. [S2003] Rogers Dey Whichard, Ph.D. (author & editor), Whichard, The History Of Lower Tidewater Virginia, ((New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co, 1959) ). Vol. I, p. 295. [S4940] William Craford will (1762), Norfolk Co, VA Will Book 1, ff. 79-80. [S4560] Mason to Craford deed (1690), Norfolk Co, VA Deed Book 5, pp. 130a-131.