Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Spouses
Marriageabout 1745
Census History notes for John Cretin
He died before any Census was taken.
Research notes for John Cretin
(From book of admins by Anne W B Belle, LDS film.) John Cretin was surety for admin of estate of Arthur Coskery who died 1774 intestate with LOA to Ann & Francis Coskery.
William Creighton died in Baltimore County in 1757 naming wife Mary and sons John and William in his will. It is clear however that his sons were not yet 12. He also mentioned brother John.
William Creighton died in Baltimore County in 1757 naming wife Mary and sons John and William in his will. It is clear however that his sons were not yet 12. He also mentioned brother John.
My Comments notes for John Cretin
The bulk of the information I have on the Creighton (also spelled Cretin and Crayton) family comes from a family tree I found on the Internet on the descendants of John Cretin. It covers John, whose father it says was named William, his son James, James’ son Robert and down to Robert’s daughter Delilah who marries Christopher Slade. While I generally am a little skeptical of family trees published on the Internet with little hard substantiation of the facts cited, in this case most everything in this tree checks out and I’ve found nothing elsewhere to call it into question.
Martin Cretin traces this line from Delilah to Robert to James to John and says John was the son of William. Delilah married Christopher Slade. Robert married Mary McClung daughter of Adam McClung and Letitia Richardson. James’ wife is unknown. John married Martha Lynch daughter of Patrick Lynch and Martha Bowen and married second Elizabeth. Their oldest child Patrick was born in 1746 so I date this marriage to abt 1745.
Martin may have mis-interpreted the Robert W Barnes write-up on the Cretin family, as I initially did too, when he says John was the son of William. Barnes suggests there is evidence that the earliest Creighton in America was the father of at least two sons who lived in Baltimore County -- William who died in 1757 and John. With regard William who died in 1757, will mentions his wife Mary, his brother John, and sons William and John. The younger William was born 25 May 1755 and so assuming the younger John would have been born near that year too, he therefore was not the John who married Martha Lynch in about 1745. So the John who did marry Martha was the brother of the older William. And the name of their father was not known.
Barnes does not suggest any name for that ancestral Cretin nor does he say how he concludes the father actually came to America, if he is in fact saying that which isn’t clear. Moreover, about our John, he only mentions that he married Martha (last name unknown) and that he may have been the father of Patrick born 14 Nov 1756.
John Creighton's will probate date is known, not his date of death. It was 22 Mar 1784. Becky cites: "Heirs and Legatees of Harford County, MD. 1774-1802” and says the will of John Creighton shows a probate of 22 March 1784 with Elizabeth, the widow, as Executor. Distributions were made on 20 March 1792 to Patrick, James, and John Cretin and Elizabeth McCherry (all children of John). And she cites her “Orphans Court book” and says it shows that Elizabeth Cretin, John and Patrick had several appearances in court over the distribution of the estate.
John Cretin, presumably this one, was deposed at Annapolis 29 Nov 1756. He and several other men had been accused of seditious behavior because of their suspected assistance to and support of the French during the recent French-Indian War. The charges were ultimately dropped. John said that he resided then and had for the last four years near Deer Creek in Baltimore County and that he was a Roman Catholic (the cause of his being accused).
John’s will was probated 22 Mar 1784. It mentions his wife but does not name her. It names sons Patrick, James and John and granddaughter Bettsey McCaskey (a witness to the will was Francis Caskey). From other documents, the executor was Elizabeth, widow. Distributions were made on 20 March 1792 to Patrick, James, and John Cretin and Elizabeth McCherry (all children of John).
Elizabeth, the widow, we think, was John’s second wife. There is a deed dated 14 Aug 1754 by Patrick Lynch of Baltimore County to his daughter Martha Crayton wife of John that is evidence that Martha was John’s first wife and mother of James Creighton. John’s oldest child was born in 1746 which is the clue we have to the date of his marriage to Martha.
In 1759, an Ann Cretin (no known relation of our Cretin’s) was fined for having an illegal child, she named John Cretin as the father.
Martin Cretin traces this line from Delilah to Robert to James to John and says John was the son of William. Delilah married Christopher Slade. Robert married Mary McClung daughter of Adam McClung and Letitia Richardson. James’ wife is unknown. John married Martha Lynch daughter of Patrick Lynch and Martha Bowen and married second Elizabeth. Their oldest child Patrick was born in 1746 so I date this marriage to abt 1745.
Martin may have mis-interpreted the Robert W Barnes write-up on the Cretin family, as I initially did too, when he says John was the son of William. Barnes suggests there is evidence that the earliest Creighton in America was the father of at least two sons who lived in Baltimore County -- William who died in 1757 and John. With regard William who died in 1757, will mentions his wife Mary, his brother John, and sons William and John. The younger William was born 25 May 1755 and so assuming the younger John would have been born near that year too, he therefore was not the John who married Martha Lynch in about 1745. So the John who did marry Martha was the brother of the older William. And the name of their father was not known.
Barnes does not suggest any name for that ancestral Cretin nor does he say how he concludes the father actually came to America, if he is in fact saying that which isn’t clear. Moreover, about our John, he only mentions that he married Martha (last name unknown) and that he may have been the father of Patrick born 14 Nov 1756.
John Creighton's will probate date is known, not his date of death. It was 22 Mar 1784. Becky cites: "Heirs and Legatees of Harford County, MD. 1774-1802” and says the will of John Creighton shows a probate of 22 March 1784 with Elizabeth, the widow, as Executor. Distributions were made on 20 March 1792 to Patrick, James, and John Cretin and Elizabeth McCherry (all children of John). And she cites her “Orphans Court book” and says it shows that Elizabeth Cretin, John and Patrick had several appearances in court over the distribution of the estate.
John Cretin, presumably this one, was deposed at Annapolis 29 Nov 1756. He and several other men had been accused of seditious behavior because of their suspected assistance to and support of the French during the recent French-Indian War. The charges were ultimately dropped. John said that he resided then and had for the last four years near Deer Creek in Baltimore County and that he was a Roman Catholic (the cause of his being accused).
John’s will was probated 22 Mar 1784. It mentions his wife but does not name her. It names sons Patrick, James and John and granddaughter Bettsey McCaskey (a witness to the will was Francis Caskey). From other documents, the executor was Elizabeth, widow. Distributions were made on 20 March 1792 to Patrick, James, and John Cretin and Elizabeth McCherry (all children of John).
Elizabeth, the widow, we think, was John’s second wife. There is a deed dated 14 Aug 1754 by Patrick Lynch of Baltimore County to his daughter Martha Crayton wife of John that is evidence that Martha was John’s first wife and mother of James Creighton. John’s oldest child was born in 1746 which is the clue we have to the date of his marriage to Martha.
In 1759, an Ann Cretin (no known relation of our Cretin’s) was fined for having an illegal child, she named John Cretin as the father.
Parent-Proof notes for Martha (Spouse 1)
St. Paul’s Church Records show Martha born or baptized 28 Jan 1725 daughter of Patrick and Martha Lynch. The will of Patrick Lynch was written 17 Jun 1766, probated 25 Aug 1766 names daughter Martha Creton.
My Comments notes for Martha (Spouse 1)
The statement by Barnes that she was married to Mr. Acton at the time of her father’s will (1766) and married to Mr. Cretin at the time of its administration (1770) does not agree with other information, including the 1754 deed of Patrick Lynch to his daughter Martha Crayton. While I have seen reference made to Patrick's will, I have not been able to find it or an abstract. I wonder if the reference to Acton was either a typo by an abstractor or a spelling error by Patrick himself.