Crathornes in Sussex

Francis Crathorne’s marriage to Catherine Woodnet at Brede on 4 October 1566 marks the first Crathorne event registered in Sussex, and seems to be part of the Crathorne Exodus.  Francis was the youngest son of James Crathorne and Elizabeth Sayer, who married at Crathorne in about 1520.  Piecing together what happened next is not entirely clear.  The facts (from IGI) include their son William, born 1 July 1565 in Brede, then an Ann marrying Lewis Godfrey in 1641, and a Martha (now Creatern) marrying Thomas Chamberlen in 1690.  These could all be part of a single family, but there are a number of missing links which will need further research to understand.  It seems that the Sussex Crathorne tribe died out at the end of the 1600s.    

Possible descendants of Francis and Catherine

A later IGI listing of Sarah Craythorne born in Kings, Cliffe, Sussex, is simply wrong - she was actually the daughter of William and Ann Crawthorne, and born on 3 May 1828 at Kings Cliffe in Northamptonshire.  She went on to marry John Palmer, and the couple emigrated to Australia. 

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