Who was Sarah CRAXFORD (b. 1852)?

[MaureeninNY]

Is it 10 Eltham or 10 Elham??

Maureen

[heywood]

Is it 10 Eltham or 10 Elham??

Maureen

Beg your pardon. It's Eltham Street.   I have amended my post.

[MaureeninNY]

Thanks,Heywood.
Oddly confusing,though...doesn't this also look like 10 Eltham:
1851-1567/840/16
and in 1861:343/109/32

Still don't see any CRAXFORDs.

Maureen

[heywood]

Yes it does!

[heywood]

Robert Craxford who died in 1854 suffered from asiatic cholera. He had married in the 1820 and worked for the Colonial Office. His death is recorded in the book "Sam and Sallie: a novel of the theatre" by Alfred Lane Crauford.

Alan

Who did he marry?  Was he still married when he died? The record I can see doesn't mention a wife.

[chempat]

Have you explored the 'mercantile clerk' link - directories or other information?

If no other knowledge about him, born and married abroad.

[Newfloridian]

I guess this may be one of those mysteries which we can't solve. I guess it is possible that we are looking at 'a woman scorned' scenario. I have most of the certificates for London Craxfords (including a large swatch which went by an alternative stage name spelling) cross referenced with the census returns which includes a similar mystery - the birth of "Henry Samuel Craxford"  in November 1882.

The Robert Craxford who died of cholera in 1854 was married to an Elizabeth (haven't found her maiden name) and had their first child, William John, on May 24th 1829 (detail from Pallot Baptism Index).  The subsequent generations of this family became involved with the stage, particulalry the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton, and were known by the name Crauford -even though their BMDs continued to be issued as Craxford. Alfred Lane Crauford who wrote the biography of his family "Sam and Sallie" in 1933 describes the death of his grandfather and the fate of his father thus: "When the son was fourteen the father died from the prevalent scourge of cholera; leaving little money, his son William was obliged to leave school. He became a lawyer’s clerk and as he became older joined an amateur dramatic society"

I suppose it is possible that the Sarah in question was the illegitimate daughter of this Robert Craxford and Sarah Medlock was using the device of calling herself Craxford and naming him the father which was not uncommon in those days. However it is strange that there is nothing in the records following this to explain what happened to mother or daughter.

We have documented the story of the family and the Britannia Theatre in articles in our own website. If of interest I could PM the link.

Cheers Alan

[Milliepede]

There's a Sarah Medlock in Lambeth in 1851 servant unmarried age 30.

Do you think she could be the mother?  I agree birth cert could be written as if parents were married but they weren't (have seen that before!)

There was a Sarah Medlock death, think it was 1894, might be worth a look.

[Newfloridian]

Hmm .. by age, the Sarah Medlock servant in Lambeth would have been born about 1821 - making her 31 at the time of the birth of the Sarah in question.

The death indexes for Sarah Medlock are also confusing. Several are centred on Biggleswade. There is a Sarah Medlock who died in JAS 1860 (no age given). Then there is a Sarah aged 68 (b abt 1811) who died there in JFM 1879 and another who died there aged 73 (b abt 1825) in 1898.

 I suppose the most likely link we have is that the Sarah Medlock was working in Lambeth in 1851; and the baby was born in Lambeth in 1852. Most references for Robert Craxford are north of the river - Holborn and Westminster.

Alan