The Crawley Family

 Among the early settlers in the Township whose family name has been perpetuated were two brothers Peter and Edward Crawley who emigrated about 1835 from Tallanstown,  County Louth,  Ireland. Also from Tallanstown came John and Bridget Foster who were the first settlers on Lot 1, Rear 7 (1830) and whose family was to marry into the Crawleys.  

Louth, the smallest county in Ireland and affectionately known as " The Wee County", is a county in the northeastern Republic of Ireland, in Leinster Province, on Dundalk Bay, an inlet of the Irish Sea. Dundalk, the capital and Drogheda are the chief seaports.

County Louth is ideally situated on the North East coast of Ireland and covers an area of only 317 square miles. It runs northwards from the River Boyne to Carlingford Lough, consisting mainly of fertile undulating country with a coastline of wide sandy bays and occasional rocky headlands. Except for a hilly region in the northeast, the land is low and fertile. Dairy farming and fishing are important industries. The principal towns include Carlingford, Dundalk, Drogheda, and Colton. is Dundalk.

The Crawleys first appear on Township maps in 1839 when Edward was  located on Lot 13, Front 7. At the same time,  Brother Peter took up Lot 12 Front 7 and Lot 21 Front 4, although Lot 12 remained in Edward’s name. Peter married Margaret Foster and in 1851 appeared in the Census as follows:

           Peter Crawley, Farmer, Ireland, R.C., 29 years

Margaret, Wife, Ireland, R.C., 24 years

Mary  G.             Canada, 4

Bridget                   “        , 3

Catherine              “         , 1

By the 1861 Census, John H., 8, Anne E.,6,  Peter Jr.,1 (died of scarlet fever that year)  and Bernard, 1, were added to the family.

In 1875, Patrick McGarr bought Peter’s farm, Lot 21, Front 4, and in 1878 Joseph Lester bought Peter’s homestead, Lot 12, Front 7. It appears that Peter, wife Margaret Lynch and his descendants left the area around this time. 

As for Edward, he had married Elizabeth Durnin and continued on on his homestead, Lot 13, Front 7, as did his descendants. The 1851 Census records:

Edward Crawley, Farmer, Ireland, R.C., 33 years

Elizabeth, Ireland, R.C., 38 years

Catherine, Canada, 12 years

Mary, 6 years

Peter, 10 years

Edward Jr., 8 years

By 1861,  Edward, Elizabeth, Peter, Edward Jr. and Mary A. still  lived on the homestead. Catherine had married Martin Lynch. In 1871, the only adult male  Crawleys were Peter, 28 and Edward Jr., 25.  Edward Jr. took over  the homestead and was followed by his son Edward and his grandson Charles Maxwell. In addition, in 1905, Edward Jr. bought Lot 16, Rear 4 and the Crawley family began its long association with the Downey area. In 1947, Charles M. sold out to Walter Ashton and the Crawley presence on the 7^th ended.

          The Crawleys in Downey

 

        Edward Jr.’s acquisition of Lot 16 Front 4 meant the break-up of the old Maddock farm. (Maddock came into the country in 1844 or earlier.) James Barclay bought the Rear of the of the lot from Maddock and Crawley the Front. In this century, the Crawleys also bought Benjamin “Brick” Parker’s farm, Lot 17 Rear 4, next door. Parker’s occupation began in 1843 at least. Not too long after, Parker had built a classic Ontario brick farmhouse. The present-day Crawleys lived there till 2002. 

Some time ago, the city of Guelph began a policy of annexation, the most recent being the Downey area and by 2002 “Brick” Parker’s farm was slated for development and the Parker-Crawley house put in danger of demolition. Luckily, the Guelph LACAC engaged student Katie Nasswetter to research and document the house and she succeeded in prolonging its life. It will be boarded up while the sub-division takes root and then will become the sales office. 

Dr. John Crawley , former Reeve of the Township, has moved across the road to a new house on Lot 17 Front 4, still part of Puslinch Township. 

___________________________________________________

 

Descendants of Edward Crawley Senior

 (1819-1863)

and Elizabeth Durnin

 (1808-1873)

                                1.  Peter 1841-1922 m.  Margaret Lynch

Children: Edward 1863, George Alexander 1865,

        Catherine 1866, Margaret 1867,

        Peter 1869, Joseph Edward 1870,

                  John Martin 1872, William Francis 1874,

        and Mary Ellen, 1878