Rachel Criswell (maiden name: Wilson) was born around 1797 in Maryland. She married James Criswell on January 5, 1814, and they had at least six children: Nicholas, born on July 30, 1819; James, born around 1828; Rachel, born around 1831; Elizabeth, born around 1836; Francis, born around 1839; and Penelope, born around 1841. Her husband served in the War of 1812.
The family lived in Carroll County, Maryland, and her husband worked as a farmer. He died on April 20, 1854, and she secured a federal pension. By 1860, she was living in Baltimore, Maryland, with her son James and his family, and she owned $200 of personal property. She died around 1872.