He was born in Manchester, the son of Edward Williams and Mary née Cragg, and initially worked in a printing office.
He first appeared on stage in a flying trapeze act with a partner in 1862, joining George Sanger's circus soon afterwards, when they were known as the DeCastro Brothers.
[2] The troupe made four trips to Australia, the first in 1873, and also toured New Zealand, India, the United States, and frequently in continental Europe.
Interviewed in 1898, Cragg stated that most of the acrobatic routines performed by other groups had been initiated by, and copied from, those of his troupe.
[3][4] There were seven family members performing in 1898, including Cragg's five sons and one daughter, based in their gymnasium in Kennington Road.