Crathornes in Durham

Although Crathorne village is only a few miles from the Durham border, it seems from the IGI records that the Crathornes didn't move there in any numbers...

A female Crathorne apparently married Edward Perkinson about 1518 or 1531 at 'Beaumont Hill, Palantine, Durham', but this address does not feature on modern maps. 

Then on 29 May 1584 Ellen Crathorne was christened with only mother Jane and no father at Eaglescliffe, between Stockoton-on-Tees and Yarm.  Jane could have been one of the daughters of Matthew Crathorne and Margery Hutton (he was the third son of Thomas and Everilda Constable) or from an earlier part of the Crathorne line - but it is interesting that she moved out of Yorkshire to have her illegitimate child baptised. 

Then Mary Crawthorne married William Weskowe on 31 May 1610 at Witton le Wear, and Sarah Crathorne married George Liddle on 1 May 1624 in St Margaret's church, Durham city.  Their marriages were followed by a family group whose children were christened in Long Newton, with father Robert Crathorne.  This Robert could have been a son of Thomas Crathorne and Catherine Richart but it seems more likely that he arose earlier in the line.  Interestingly, Robert was born about the same time as the first Bedlington Crathorne in Northumberland.  Were they related in some way?

The family names of Robert and Ralph again continue the main Crathorne tradition - but as with several other outposted families, there is no sign of any descendants at all.  Did they die, or move away, or are there records still to be found?

After a break of a hundred years, William 'Creteron' had daughter Elizabeth christened on 4 March 1749 in Billingham, and another - or the same - William Crathorn married Hannah Milbourn on 29 December 1749 at St Oswald's, Durham.  James Crathorne christened his three daughters in Darlington: Alice on 22 January 1757, Mary (then 'Craythorne') on 21 October 1758 and Anne (then 'Crathorn') on 23 February 1768.  Finally in the eighteenth century, Allan Craythorne married Elizabeth Dawson on 28 January 1786 at St Cuthberts, Darlington, with daughter Mary christened at the same church on 27 July 1793.

The remainder of the IGI records from Durham are all post 1800.

If you know more about your Crathorne relatives, please click here