CHRISTIANA (CHRISTINA) CREWEY

Some sources say that the Crewey family (aka Cruey) were descended from the "Black Dutch," coming from Holland but in poorer parts of the country and with ties to the Jewish communities there. They were members of the "Holiness" faith or something similar, and many claimed to have visions of past and future events. They had their own churches and fellowships.

She and her husband George established a legal claim to 344 acres on Mill Branch, along a tributary of the New River, in 1777 in what is now Christiansburg, VA. After this they apparently moved their family to Northumberland County, VA until shortly after the American Revolution.

When the Revolution started Christiana was very pro-American, but George was pro-British and initially went to fight for England. Despite the fact that her husband later spent 18 months fighting with the American army after he was tried for treason towards the close of the Revolution (the alternative to prison), Christiana apparently never forgave him for his original Tory sentiments and refused to let him come home. He left and never returned, and Christiana took back her maiden name of Crewey. Her four sons took that name for awhile as well, but apparently reverted to Walters some time later.

On April 15, 1785, Christiana and her sons returned to the original 344 acre claim and settled there permanently. According to family tradition and as evidenced by surviving Montgomery County records, Christiana supported herself in later years by running a tavern from her house. She offered up at least part of her land to Montgomery County on which to build a county courthouse for the new town of Christiansburg; she donated the land on May 1, 1790. The county seat was incorporated in 1792.

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