Son of John McCrillis and Margaret (Burnside) McCrillis, John was born in Northern Ireland around 1700. The family left from Londonderry, (Northern) Ireland to Boston on Oct 8, 1726. John Junior, his father John, and several siblings came to America, landing in Boston on Oct 8, 1726. They first established themselves in Nottingham, New Hampshire Colony where his father established a homestead. Some time after 1742, John, along with sisters Martha and Mary, came to Colrain, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Colony. John purchased land there from John Clark on Aug 1, 1742, a first division lot in the Bernardston Gore. On Jan 7, 1745 he purchased an additional 30 acres from the proprietors, then being "of Colrain". His homestead was later known as "Handy Place", after Charles Handy who married his granddaughter Mary. The homestead was on the North River in what is now known as Elm Grove. He served in a military company with Lt.Dan Severance, stationed in Colrain in 1747, in the French and Indian Wars. They were still fighting Indians in 1748. It is not clear how he may be related to William McCrellis who settled in Colrain after 1749. William may have been a brother or a nephew. An interesting note about John McCrillis involves the payment of school teachers in Colrain. It was voted on March 5, 1753 to establish a public school in Colrain. John and others protested against having a Master or Mistress (teachers) paid by lots, but that they should be paid by the scholars who attended the school (tuition). In 1732 he married Margaret Harvey. The names of his children are mixed with confusion and conflicting information; however, one source lists the names of five and at least two have been documented: John 3rd, and William. The other three area David, James and Elizabeth. John passed away in 1759 (one source records date of death as 1793) and is interred in the Chandler Hill cemetery located in Colrain, Massachusetts.