John Hubert Craigie, 8 December 1887 - 26 February 1989
John Hubert Craigie was descended from Scottish crofters. His grandfather, William Craigie, the son of Hugh Craigie of Rousay, was born on Rousay, Orkneys, in 1810, and died in Canada in 1901. Life was difficult in Scotland early in the 19th century. Like many of his fellow Orkneymen, William Craigie emigrated to Canada as an indentured employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company, probably in the 1830s. In the course of his duties he crossed Canada two or three times, travelling out of York Factory on Hudson Bay. The family oral history is that William could not abide the way the Company treated native peoples; factors were expected to ply the natives with liquor and then ‘purchase’ furs for a pittance. As an ‘indentured servant’ he would be in mortal danger from the colonial authorities if he tried to leave, but he took an opportunity to escape via the USA and returned home to the Orkneys. There he married Jean Mainland. Because they could not get permission to marry on Rousay, they eloped by rowboat to be married in another village. William and Jean later emigrated to Canada, reaching the port of Pictou, Nova Scotia, in June 1842 after sailing on the barque Superior for 51 days from Thurso, Caithness.