The Red Photo Gallery

A photograph from our gallery will display randomly here each time you come to this page

Introduction

This is version 7.03 of the Craxford family tree - a family apparently originating in Gretton, Northamptonshire, England in the early 1600s. My sister Brenda drew up the first tentative tree some years ago but my interest was sparked when I found another Alan the same age as me and born only 40 miles away from my home town - and we did not even know of each other's existence! Alan's sister, Maureen, had also been similarly active in gathering data. Information to date has been collected laboriously from parish records and archives as well as web searches of the internet, Ancestry.com, findmypast.com, UK Census Collection (1851 - 1911), FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints database) and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site.

From a data management point of view this web site is the product of two separate software systems. The main database is held on a local computer using the genealogy package Legacy7. This is also where the articles are written and formatted and the photographic materials are processed. The family tree information is then transferred to a mainframe web server and this site is maintained using the TNG (The Next Generation) site building programme. You can see more of this on Page 5 on the Contents section. We started off, quite reasonably, documenting just our own immediate family and, because of the somewhat unusual nature of our name, were content to maintain the database as a single name project. After the site had been running for some months, and a certain amount of interest and notoriety had been generated, first one and then several other people and families wanted to get involved too.

To the woods ...

As our investigations have progressed we have become aware of other researchers digging through the same archives. Some we have liaised with and shared the fruits of our labours. Some indeed have set down their own trees where our branches have touched and interlinked. Our family tree does not stand in isolation. In this section we are pleased and proud to introduce our near neighbours in this forest. We are in collaboration, not competition, with each other. If you can't find what you are looking for in these pages please give them a try (and tell them who sent you!)

The first group use the same genealogy presentation software (TNG) as us. This gives us an added advantage as we can provide links direct to their search pages. You will find these within the left hand navigation bars of their relevant colour section. The second group contain links to other related trees. Most of these can be found in the Ancestry community. Some are open resources, some require a login account for which you will need to contact the co-ordinator.

ANNE BROOKS' ANCESTRY
(The BLUE pages) Continue your explorations into the progenitors of the Nessworthys - the Nosworthy Family from Devon - back to their roots and across the Atlantic to Canada.

MITCHELL FAMILY ONLINE
(The PURPLE pages) Contains another Cox family, this one from Gloucestershire, who emigrated to Australia.

FOSKETT GENEALOGY: The History of a Family
(The TEAL pages) Joseph Cook married Mary Ann Foskett (maternal side great great grandparents) in rural Buckinghamshire. This web site documents her ancestry and lines of descent.
Email: Sandra

CRANE POWELL: UK TO USA
(Ancestry) Our link is through Enos Jackson of Lincolnshire and Caroline Craxford of Gretton and spreads west to California.
Email: Alex

DAVID HARRINGTON FAMILY TREE
(Ancestry) This tree links to ours through Sarah Craxford and George Smith of Gretton. Over 6000 names from Harrington and beyond.
Email: David

THE HOBBS AND HOODS FROM KENT
(Ancestry) We find a large database of Hobbs and Hoods in the South East corner of England connected with and descended from Lizzie Alice Claypole of Cottingham, Northamptonshire.
Email: Len

THE LIQUORISH FAMILY
This is another tree centred on the villages of Gretton and Cottingham. It links to ours through William Liquorish and Lucy Craxford.
Email: Phil

to be expanded .....

MOST WANTED: A selection of individuals, families and photographs from our family tree for which our information is incomplete. Can you help us identify them or provide information which will overcome these deadends?

Alan D Craxford - Site Administrator

Continued in column 2...

Hot News! What's New!!

It's an honour

Announcements

A SOFTWARE OVERHAUL: October 31st 2015

The website has been through a major update over the course of the last couple of weeks. Firstly our internet service provider migrated us to a new facility. Following on from that we have upgraded the TNG software which controls the database and on which the pages of the magazine are built. This was a major undertaking as our last upgrade was carried out six years ago. There were a few minor niggles along the way but the transfer has been completed relatively smoothly. We think that everything is now back as it should be and that your reading of our pages has not been too disturbed. If you do come across a feature which does not look right, please let us know.

A MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE OLIVE PAGES: November 10th 2015

In conjunction with the addition of a Gretton section to the RED pages (see the announcement below) we are undertaking a major rewrite of the articles charting the history of the family who moved to and through the county of Rutland. The first of these articles was added last month and follows on from the piece about the skin trade in Gretton and looks at the sons and daughters of fellmonger, Robert Craxford. Today we have added the story of Robert's eldest daughter, Sarah and the Matkin family of Oakham. Amongst others, this includes the story of Joseph Matkin and his part in the Challenger Expedition of the 1870s.

A NEW SECTION FOR THE RED PAGES: October 22nd 2015

Today we are delighted to announce the unveiling of a new page (page 3c) dedicated to the village and people of Gretton. Perhaps a little remiss of the editors that it should have taken so long, especially as the Craxford family name can be traced back to the records of the early 17th century. A series of articles on the history of the Craxfords of Gretton is underway and already the first of these detailing the village skin trade has been completed. This section will also provide a sound link to individuals and articles which are contained in the OLIVE and PURPLE pages.

Please browse, read on and enjoy!!

OUR SEVENTH SUPPLEMENT

We are pleased and proud to launch our seventh colour supplement, the ORANGE pages, which introduces the Moores and Walpoles from Northamptonshire and the Ankers of neighbouring Cambridgeshire . Although distant from the main trunk of the tree, these families are linked to us - often by both marriage and a shared history. Several of the articles which appeared on the "Research Done" page have now been moved into the new section.

Please contact us

If you have any contributions, questions or comments about the information on this site, please Get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

Page last updated: Janury 8th 2019

Our Coat of Arms

All about cousins

A GLOSSARY OF GENEALOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS
(Added August 4th 2011)
Are you confident about the relationships within your family tree? Do you know your second cousin three times removed from your third cousin twice removed? With the help of some simple tree charts we have tried to provide a straightforward answer to a number of confusing kinship definitions in this new addition to the GREY pages.

New releases

The latest three published articles are listed below. To see other recent additions click here for: THE CONTENTS PAGE

AN UNEXPECTED TRUTH UNEARTHED AFTER NEARLY 150 YEARS
(Added September 1st 2017)
Family history research will often unearth surprises and coincidences but the twists at the end of this 15 year project border on the unbelievable
"PAPERBOY UNKNOWINGLY DELIVERS NEWSPAPERS TO THE GRANDDAUGHTERS OF HIS GREAT UNCLE'S MURDERER"

AS G&S WOULD SAY: A MOST UNUSUAL PARADOX
(Added February 9th 2017)
This is a tale of multiple relationships, a death in World War 1 and a slow unravelling by DNA and family medical history analysis.
"CLAYPOLE-NUTT: A FINEDON SAGA"

ANOTHER MIXED BAG- A FAMILY ASSORTMENT
(Added August 23rd 2016)
When Lucy Craxford married William Liquorish in 1847, would she have believed that that by the turn of the century she would have had 12 children and 46 grandchildren. This is their story.
"THE GRETTON CRAXFORDS: EXODUS II - All sorts of Liquorish"

Article updates

We are always seeking to update and enhance the material presented in the colour sections of our magazine. Additional information or media has been added recently to the following articles:

MAJOR REWRITES:

BLUE:
SIMPSONS: A CENTURY OF PRINTING IN SOUTH SHIELDS

RED:
THE SORROWS OF MARY ATKINS
A WALK DOWN KING RICHARDS ROAD - AND BACK AGAIN

MINOR CHANGES:

PURPLE:
CRAXFORD AND SONS, FRUITERERS OF PENTONVILLE. Part 1: INTO ISLINGTON

BROWN:
THE STORY OF EDWARD BRETLAND Part 2

The Main (RED) Pages

Starting here you will find items of general interest, editorials, stories of CRAXFORD ancestors and features about Northamptonshire, Leicester, the West Midlands and Yorkshire. Just use the page links towards the top of the red column on the left. Associate editors: Brenda Eldridge and Maureen Bird.

DEATH FOR THREEHA'P'ORTH OF SUCKERS
"Cottingham is situated in one of the loveliest districts of the county of Northampton ... but not the most beautiful spots on earth can enjoy an immunity from crime."

A WALK DOWN KING RICHARDS ROAD
"I have no idea what 'quited' love was so I don't know how you would get requited, let alone find yourself in the opposite condition... "

SIMON GAINS HIS DEGREE
Simon John Craxford received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree at a Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Nottingham on July 16th 2010.

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