From Research Papers of Pauline Halburnt Roberts
Generation No. 1
1. JACOB1 CRASS, SR. was born 1771 in PA, and died Abt 1855. Wife unknown
1850 Roane, TN. census:
Children of Jacob Crass are:
i. ADAM CRASS, b. 1800, VA.
ii. JACOB CRASS, JR., b. 1810; m. ELIZABETH COOK.
iii. ABSALOM CRASS b. 1815, VA; m. ELIZABETH WRIGHT, 22 Jan 1845
iv. KING SOLOMON CRASS, b. 1820; m. NANCY ANN LOCKETT, 25 Nov 1847.
v. NANCY CRASS, b. 1822.
vi. DANIEL CRASS, b. 17 Nov 1824; d. 24 May 1891; m. AVIS DAVIS, 10 Oct 1851.
The area Crass family history that can be documented, or supported with other reasonable evidence, has its origin with Jacob Crass in Roane County and John Crass in Anderson County, Tennessee. In addition to "Crass", the spelling of the names in various records include: CRAISE, CRACE, and CRESS. The name is, also, often confused with CROSS. There are some indications that John Crass and Jacob Crass, Sr. were brothers. John "Cress" first appears in Anderson County Minute Book, page 84, dated 1812 wherein he was ordered to be overseer of a road. In 1816, John "Crase" purchased from Nancy Brazel 85 acres located on the Brush Fork of Poplar Creek, as recorded in Deed Book E., page 153. No record has been found by which this 85 acres was sold by Crass. In fact, no further record of John Crass has been found except one in Morgan County, TN. In February of 1849, John F. Crass and Jacob Crass had Entry No. 2771 of 3000 acres surveyed on the waters of Little Emory River and recorded in the Entry Taker's book in Morgan County. the 3000-acre survey included exceptions of older prior titles including one of 1000 acres which were excluded.
Jacob Crass first appears in the records in Roane County Deed Book E., page 67. Jacob Crass purchased a three-acre mill site from JOHN DAVIS on the waters of Poplar Creek and Cobb's Creek (later known as Crass' Creek--between Scandlyn Station and Orchard View) for the consideration of $150. The deed is dated July 1816, and states that Jacob Crass was of Anderson County.
A mill and mill dam were built which, with an additional 25 acres that he acquired, were sold by Jacob to his beloved son, Daniel Crass, in 1850. Deed Book L., page 69, dated July 16, 1850.
A Crass family tradition is to the effect that Jacob's wife spoke broken English, and that she drowned in the mill pond. Her name is unknown, but there is a possibility that she was of Germanic descent and may have been from one of the Hossler, Manley or Butler families who lived in the same general area on Poplar Creek in Anderson County. She died between 1824 and 1830.
With the exception of Jacob Crass, Sr. and his descendants, the only "Crass" families in the 1850 census for all counties in Tennessee are: J. G. Crass, age 25, in Montgomery Co., and Martha Crass, age 37, in Henderson County. There were three "Cress" families in the 1850 census of Claiborne County who were: George W. Cress, 31, Jacob Cress 27, and Nathaniel Cress, 22.
The Roane County 1850 census record shows that Jacob "Craise" was born in Pennsylvania in 1771. Of his seven children, two where born in Virginia, and the remainder in Tennessee. Little is known of Jacob Crass, Sr.'s children except: Jacob, Jr., Absalom, and Daniel. Most of the Jacob Crass, Jr. descendants are located in Knox and Loudon counties. Daniel Crass married Avis Davis and their descendants are mainly located in the state of Washington.
The descendants of Absalom Crass and Elizabeth Wright Crass are mainly centered in Roane County, TN. Their line has been researched by Pauline Halburnt Roberts who is one of the descendants of the line.