The origins of the name CRAVEN is shrouded in time. Some say that craven is a Celtic word, related to the Welsh word craf, and means garlic. It is true that the Craven District, centered around the town of Skipton, in western Yorkshire has been known for its wild garlic for centuries.

Most, however, recognize Craven as an Old French word meaning "broken.' It was a term used in Trial by Combat. Dating back to the time of William I, the Conqueror, trial by combat was between two or more accusers and was used to settle questions of ownership of property or to decide guilt or innocence. Until about 1400, such trial was usually to the death. From then until banned by act of Parliament in 1819, trial by combat was conducted with quarter staffs and was not to the death. When such combat had been to the death, either combatant could end the fight (and loose his case) by crying "craven!" or "broken!" He who so "broke" was punished not only by loosing his suit but by being outlawed. By the sixteenth century, however, the word had acquired its current connotation of cowardly.

Research into the Craven families has failed to reveal any indications that they were cowards. Instead, it is safe to concur with the findings of earlier researchers that the family surname represents residence. In the Subsidy Roll of Richard II (taken in 1378 AD) we find Ricus de Craven of Staynford and Jonas de Craven of Ingleton, both in the Craven District. As has been so common, within a hundred and fifty years, the de was dropped and Craven a firmly established surname.

One final observation; most of the following information has come down to me from family histories and research done by Atchison M. "Uncle Jimmy" Foster and Joseph B. Owens supplemented by family lore and contributions. Its accuracy is only as good as memory can make it. While I didn't do the original research, I alone am responsible for any inaccuracies in these pages.

 Although it is believed that the Cravens obtained and occupied a grant in the Fenwick colony in West Jersey, there is nothing to indicate they were Quakers. It is quite possible that they were Separatist Baptists. A large number of Separatist Baptists, Quakers, and Scots-Irish migrated from Pennsylvania and New Jersey into Virginia and later into the area of the Orange River Valley in the Piedmont of North Carolina. One hall-mark of the Separatist Baptists was their opposition to "unnecessary" taxes and the manner in which taxes were collected.

Peter (III) Craven migrated from Buck's County, PA to Augusta Co. VA in 1744 and remained there until 1753. He was a potter by trade. He had a pottery shop in Randolph Co., NC near Deep River by 1761. The first Separatist Baptist church in the area was located at near-by Sandy Creek. Deep River was home to the second such church and Abbott's Creek the third.

The population of western North Carolina began to feel oppressed by laws made by eastern wealthy landowners who had no idea of conditions in the west. Of particular concern was the imposition of taxes and fees that were higher than legal and the manner in which they were being collected. For years the people accepted the situtation but finally, in 1764, they rebelled against the sheriff and other county officials. The rebellion mushroomed into what is called the War of Regulation, or the Regulator Movement. At the Battle of Alamance, in 1771, Governor William Tryon and his 1000 troops defeated an estimated 2-3000 Regulators. Among the leaders of the Regulators were Jeffrey Beck Sr., William Moffitt, PEA (sic) CRAVEN, David Jackson, Stephan Harlon, THOMAS CRAVEN, and Harman Husbands. The Regulators were required to sign a loyalty oath to the King, and to pledge that they would take up arms in support of the King in the future. At least six leaders were tried and convicted of treason. They are belived to have been executed. It is not known if Peter Craven was one of these but he disappears from the records at this time.

But that shouldn't be surprising. Within a year, by 1772, 1500 Regulators and their families had fled western Carolina for Kentucky, Tennessee and the southern Mississippi River valley.

Thomas Craven was a Tory during the Revolution and refused to take a loyalty oath to the North Carolina Revolutiionary Goverment. His younger brother Peter has been called a Tory but shows up in pay records as a patriot of the Revolution.