CRAIG, SIR THOMAS, of Iticcarteu, was, according to Baillio's biogriphical notice of him prefixed to the last edition of his celebrated treatise on the 'Feudal Law,' the son of Mr. Robert Craig, merchant in Edinburgh, and born about the year 1548 ; but this is plainly a mistake, for in 1552 he was sent to the university of St. Andrews, and entered as a student of St. Leonard's College. He remained at St. Leonard's only till he proceeded Bachelor of Arts, when he went to France to prosecute his studies in the University of Paris. Ou his return to Scotland, about 1561, the Reformation had just been accom plished there; and under the care of his distioguished relative, the Rev. Dr. John Craig, then minister of Holyrood House, the religious views of young Craig were changed ; and, devoting himself entirely to study, he left nearly all his youthful contemporaries in literature far behind him. lie passed advocate in the Court of Session at Edinburgh on the 2nd of February 1563, and in July of that year we find him justice depute to Archibald, fifth earl of Argyll, hereditary lord juetacier of Scotland (' Abstract Books of Adjouroal, MS. Adv. Libr.), an ardent friend of the Reformation. In May 1564 he had a grant from the crown of the escheat of Alexander Banes of Cronabie, and in the following January another grant from the crown of the unlaws or amerciamente of any six persons he might choose among those unlawed in the justice courts, and this so long as lie should enjoy the office of justice depute. In October of the following year the grant was extended for his life. Ilia first appearance as an author was on occasion of the queen's marriage with her cousin Darnley, for which ho com posed an epithalamiutn, or marriage-song. The piece, which Is not to be found among Craig's poems in the Delitia) Poetarum Scotoruni; was only discovered a few year. back.
In his office of justice depute Craig appears to have been particularly zealous. On the 18th of December he had a grant from the crown of the escheat of Alexander Dunning of Westererieff, and the week following a grant of the escheat of James Johnston in Middlegill and others. In looking at these grants of escheat, we must bear in mind that in thou times the judges were commonly paid out of the issues of their court, and It is probable that Craig had then no other source of remuneration. In 1574 however, when he was promoted in his
profession, he received from the lord treasurer 120f., being his fee as justice depute for three year. from Whit-Sunday 1571, at the rate of 401. a year, which was an allowance equal to that then paid to thu lord advocate. Craig presided in the court of justiciary held in April 1566, where Thomas Scot, the sheriff depute of Perth under Lord Ruthven. the hereditary sheriff, and Ilenry Taire, a priest, servant to the Lord Iluthven, were adjudged to be hanged and quartered, and their heads set upon the turret of the buildings adjoining the royal palace, on the charge of having been accomplices In the murder of Mule, who was opeuly assassinated in the queen's presence by the Lord Ituthven, the Lord Chancellor Morton, and others, at the head of whom was Darnley himselL On the 19th of Juno following, the enema was delivered of a son, and Craig again appeared as a court-bard, hailing the birth of the young prince in a Genethliumn in Jacobi Principis Scotomrn.' lie seems soon afterwards to have married Helen Tleriot, daughter of the Influential laird of Traborun, in the county of liaddington ; and in 1569 Lis eldest son Lewis was born.
Craig continued in the office of justice depute till the end of the year 1573, when he was appointed sheriff depute of Edinburgh under the Earl of Morton above mentioned, the hereditary sheriff; and Craig's younger brother Robert was made justice depute in his room. From the beginning of the year 1576 Craig was in the courts as a practising counsel down to the beginning of the year 15S1. Morton was that year committed to Dumbarton Cantle for his supposed concern iu the murder of Darnley, and the same year Craig was ordered to cuter his persou in ward in the mine castle of Dumbarton. Craig at last obtained his liberty, but WAS not replaced In the office of sheriff depute. In April of the above year 1576 Craig got a crown charter of the estate of Cmigfintmy, in the county of Aberdeen, to himself and his heirs male. In April 1588 he obtained a crown charter of the lands of St. Lawrence Houses, in the county of Haddiogtou, to himself and Helen Heriot, his wife ; and from about that time forward we find him again in practice at the bar. Ile resumed also his poetic pen, and wrote some commendatory lines to Jacks Onomastichon, published in 1592.