This page may get bigger eventually, but right now all I have is this brief synopsis of the family genealogy from E.M. Woodward's History of Burlington County, published in 1883. As always, submissions are always welcome by e-mail.
In 1729, Stephen Cranmer settled at Bass River, on the farm known as Caleb Cranmer farm, which lies contiguous to the river. Stephen Cranmer was considered one of the wealthy men of Bass River, and a man of considerable influence in the place of his adoption, and for some generations his posterity were people of wealth and influence. The Cranmers of New Jersey claim to be the descendants of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was burned at the stake for his devotion to Protestantism by order of Queen Mary, at Smithfield, England, May 21, 1556.
(NOTE: According to Floyd, another researcher who has contributed to this site,
"The belief that the New Jersey Cranmer's are descendants of the family of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer appears to be only a legend.
I have been working with a research team, including one member in England to establish the origin of William Cranmer and
Elizabeth Carwithy, of Southold, L.I. and Elizabethtown, NJ, who were the fore-parents of the Cranmer family in the USA. After
thoroughly studying the pedigrees of the family of the archbishop, we have not yet discovered any link to the Cranmers in this
country. Some of us believe that William Cranmer's origin in England was Devon, which also appears to have been the
home of his spouse Elizabeth Carwithy.")
The Cranmers do not all spell their names alike: some have it Cranmer, others Cramer, and still others Crammer, but the variation is easily accounted for. In old times most people had little if any learning and orthography suffered in their hands.
William, Josiah, and probably Thomas Cranmer were the forefathers of the Cranmers of Ocean County, NJ, and John and Stephen were the ancestors of the Cranmers of Burlington County, who settled at Bass River.
The Cranmers are noted (especially former generations), for being partial to family names, it being a tradition among the family that there were six Josiah Cranmrs, all residing with a short distance of each other, and in order to distinguish one from another they were denominated thus: Old Josiah and Young Josiah, Big Josiah and Little Josiah, Over the Creek Josiah and Poplar Neck Josiah. The descendants of Stephen Cranmer wre quite numerous, many of which still reside in the township, and are classed among the more prominent farmers in Bass River Township.
Another visitor to this site was kind enough to send us this bit of genealogy concerning one
particular branch of the Cramer family:
Isaac Cramer was the father of
Charles Cramer who was the father of
DARIUS CRAMER, who was born December 08, 1808, and died September 13, 1858.
He married SARAH ANN CRAMER on January 03, 1833. She was born June 29, 1816, and died
May 27, 1897. Both Darius and Sarah are buried in Hillside Cemetery.
Their children were:
- LAVINIA CRAMER, b. November 27, 1833; d. 1895; m. CHALKLEY S. CRAMER, on May 16, 1854; Chalkley was b. 1833; d. December 13, 1855.
- WILLIAM G. CRAMER, b. August 10, 1837; d. November 29, 1912.
He married Mary Frances Maxwell (3 Apr 1847-28 Aug 1907). Both are buried in Hillside Cemetery.
They were the parents of:
- Mary E. Cramer (27 Jun 1868 -23 Jun 1899). She married George F. Cramer
(11 Aug 1854-14 Oct 1915) in 1886. Both are buried in Hillside Cemetery. They
were the parents of:
- Dora Cramer
- Morris C. Cramer (20 Dec 1886-17Apr 1936); he married Elsie Mick (1888- 1963) on May 9, 1910.
- Mary Edna Cramer (6 May 1888-22 Jul 1928). She married
Thomas
S. Watson (6 Aug 1882-3 May 1964). They were the parents of:
- Hilma Watson, b. 2 May 1910. She married Lindley Llewllyn Newcomer in Sep 1934, son of William Newcomer.
- Dora Watson, b. 9 Feb 1915, d. 15 Jan 1965. She married Robert Otis Sutton, son of William and Emma.
- Marjorie Watson, b. 1921, md. Frank Cuifolo.
- Estella Cramer (10 Ag 1870-7 Jun 1942), who married Winfield Peterson on 30 Mar 1889. Winfield was born 30 Mar 1864 and died 29 Dec 1917.
- William F. Cramer (6 Dec 1875-27 Jun 1936). He married Elizabeth J. Headley (Oct 1881-28 Oct 1968)
- Mary E. Cramer (27 Jun 1868 -23 Jun 1899). She married George F. Cramer
(11 Aug 1854-14 Oct 1915) in 1886. Both are buried in Hillside Cemetery. They
were the parents of:
- CHARLES HENRY "SPIDE" CRAMER, b. October 30, 1839.
- MARY ELIZABETH CRAMER, b. 1842.
- CALAB SMITH "SWAMPY" CRAMER, b. November 29, 1844.
- ELLIS S. CRAMER, b. 1845.
- SARAH ANN CRAMER, b. May 16, 1847.
- EMMA M. CRAMER, b. September 17, 1852.
- CHALKLEY SEARS CRAMER, b. May 02, 1856.
- DANIEL D. CRAMER, b. March 1858.
