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James Craig was born on 8 January 1871 at the Hill, in the Sydenham area of east Belfast. His father had made his millions in the whiskey industry and Craig would go on to inherit a large portion of this fortune on his father’s death. Craig was raised as a Presbyterian and attended Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, which was run by the Church of Scotland. After leaving school in 1888 he entered the world of finance and was one of the founding members of the Belfast Stock Exchange, before volunteering for the army during the Boer War.

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This entry was written by Chris Irvine. Chris is a third-year student in the School of History and Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast and is currently studying for a Single Honours BA degree in Modern History. His research interests include Modern Irish and European history.

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