DOCTOR JAMES CRAIK

LODGE St MAGDALENE No100

Charter Granted 3rd February 1766

Doctor James Craik

When most people think of Scottish Freemasons they are more than likely to include in their lists people such as Robert Louis Stevenson, John Paul Jones, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Dr Murray Lyon, William St Clair, etc. Most of the well known Scottish Freemasons have in some way played a significant part in their own countries history, if not world history, and Dr James Craik is of no exception. Born at Abrigland in Dumfriesshire, (dates vary 1727,1730&1731) , he was the illegitimate son of William Craik of Abrigland, (who employed the father of John Paul Jones) . He was brought up at Maxwellfield and on reaching the relevant age attended medical college at Edinburgh, where he studied in the hope of becoming an army surgeon. On graduating he emigrated to the West Indies where he spent only a short time practising his profession, and then in the year 1750 he moved to America, where in 1754 he was commissioned as a surgeon into Colonel Fry’s regiment, also setting up his home in Winchester, Virginia. This immediately caused offence to his father, and they never had any further direct contact after Craik took up the Colonies cause. On the death of the Colonel, the regiment was taken charge of by Major George Washington. It was from this time onwards that Craik and George Washington became very close friends and were to remain so until Washington’s death in 1799. In 1754 Craik, accompanied Washington and joined the expedition led by General Braddock, to the Battle of Monongahela against the French and their Indian allies, where he attended to the General’s wounds after his defeat in 1755. After the defeat an Act of the Virginia Assembly (August 1755) , decided that both Craik and Washington would be given a monetary reward of £30.00 and £100.00 respectively for their services on and off the field of battle.

In 1760 Craik married Marianne Ball, who was a daughter of the half sister of Washington’s mother. The couple then settled in Port Tobacco, Maryland, where he was to build a magnificent mansion, but not long after he was persuaded by George Washington to move his family home to Alexandria, Virginia. Craik remained “in the field” during the whole of the Revolutionary war as part of Washington’s military family where he was appointed the rank of Surgeon-General to the Continental Army, in which he later became the first United States Surgeon-General. Craik accompanied Washington on his trip to Ohio on the 5th October 1770 where they wished to visit the scenes of their military expeditions. Washington during that time referred to Craik as his companion, his friend and his neighbour.

In 1777 Craik was then appointed Assistant Director-General of the Hospital Department of the Army at Yorktown and was instrumental in disclosing the conspiracy that was planned to remove Washington as Commander in Chief of the Colonies forces. During 1781 Craik was also present at the surrender of Cornwallis. After the war, or revolution, there was a period of calmness, but when war was anticipated with France in 1798 Washington called his friend into service as Director-General of the same department of a provisional army that was organised. After the war Craik moved to Mount Vernon at George Washington’s request with his wife, six sons and three daughters. One of his sons, William, ( a member of Lodge St Columba, No 10) , became a member of Congress and Judge of the District Court of the United States, as well as Chief Justice of the County Court of the 5th Judicial district of Maryland, while another son became Washington’s private secretary during his second presidential term of office.

Of all the men that were present during the revolutionary wars, Craik probably enjoyed the most intimate friendship with George Washington. He and Dr Gustavus R. Brown, along with Dr Elisha Cullen Dick attended Washington during the last day of his life right up until his final breath on the 14th December 1799. Between 2 and 3 o’clock on the Saturday morning Washington woke his wife Martha, and informed her that he felt unwell. Noticing that he was having difficulty breathing she informed a servant of Washington’s condition and instructed him to send for Dr Craik. As it would be some time before Craik would arrive Washington requested that his overseer George Rawlins come and bleed him. At 9 o’clock that morning Craik arrived to find Rawlins, on Washington’s instructions, had bled the President relieving him of about one pint of blood. Craik announced that his friend was suffering from “inflammatory quinsy” (a throat infection) , and applied a blister of canatharides externally to the throat, hoping to draw the inflammation to the surface, while at the same time performing a second bleeding. On seeing an improvement to Washington’s condition Craik bled him a third time. Although more medication was administered to Washington during the rest if the day his health did not improve. Later on that evening with only his wife, Martha, and his good friend Craik by his bedside, Washington took his final breath.

At the age of 83 and having been present at the death of Washington and his wife Martha, Craik himself passed away at the Ravensworth Estate, Vacluse, on the 6th February 1814. Unfortunately today Craik is more likely to be remembered as the man who “bled Washington to death”, rather than a skilled surgeon, “compatriot in arms and old and intimate friend” as Washington referred to him in his will.

It is not clear whether Craik became a Freemason in one of the Army Lodges during the Revolution or whether he was initiated into the Craft on Scotland before sailing to America but what is definitely known is that he was a member of Lodge No39 under a Pennsylvania Charter before it became Alexandria Lodge No22. Although the argument does lean towards the initiation of Crail into Lodge No39 through the friendship he shared with Washington, the year and any information to date about his initiation are sadly unknown.

Robert J. Currie

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