Joy Jury (jurybell @t xtra.co.nz) of Moerewa, New Zealand, has asked about Albert Cramphorn of St Albans. His children were Albert (born about 1882), Mabel (1883), Charles, Beatrice, Clara (1895 - Joy's mother), William, Francis and Edith. Albert senior died from an epidemic when Clara was 7. Clara married William Harmer in 1916 at the parish church, St Michaels, St Albans. I have two names for my grandmother Margaret Kiff or Sarah Osman.
A check of the 1881 census was unhelpful in that the only Albert Cramphorn anywhere in the country was too young to be your Albert Cramphorn senior. The British Vital Records index proved far more helpful in that it showed two marriages:
On the 27th December 1880 Albert Cramphorn, aged 25 and the son of Charles Cramphorn, married Emma Taylor, aged 26, at Christ Church, St Albans.
On the 10th February 1883 Albert Cramphorn, aged 28, widower, son of Charles Cramphorn, married Sarah Smart, 26, daughter of Henry Smart, at St Peters, St Albans.
A search for Albert's father, Charles Cramphorn in the 1881 census was also negative (perhaps he had died) and Charles is not listed in the 1851 census for the St Albans area either. However there is a possible marriage on familysearch which might explain Charles' absence from St Albans in 1851:
On the 13th October 1851 Charles Cramphorn married Emma Edwards at Saint Thomas, Stepney, London.
The 1851 census shows one Cramphorn family living in Half Moon Yard, St Albans. The Head of Household was Robert Cramphorn (44, gardener, born Widford, Herts). His wife was Mary Cramphorn (44, born Edgware, Middlesex) and there were 8 children from David (20, bricklayers labourer, born St Albans) down to Anna Cramphorn (4, born St Albans). Most of the children were Brazilian straw hat makers [see Straw Industry]. It is possible that Robert was Charles' father but it would be very dangerous to assume this before checking - as it should be possible to get Charles' father's name by getting his marriage certificate. In any case another familysearch entry suggests that one needs to be very careful - as it could not refer to a son of Robert:
On the 16th October 1843 Charles Cramphorn married Susanah Barry at Saint Thomas, Stepney, London
There was also a reference to a crime committed in the Liberty of St Albans (Epiphany Session 1839) where a Charles Cramphorn was convicted of larceny and sentenced to be imprisoned for three months and twice privately whipped during his imprisonment. (Herts County Records, Volume IV).
Charles Cramphorn was also involved in Trespass in search of Conies in St Michaels, St Albans in 1866 and other crimes I have noted involving people called Cramphorn (not necessarily related) were:
Poaching Rabbits at Sandridge in 1860
Stealing Turnip Tops in St Peters, St Albans in 1864
Fraudulently dealing in Straw Plait, St Albans in 1882
While Albert is missing from the 1881 census it is quite likely that he - and your mother Clara - will be found in St Albans in the 1901 census - available online in January 2001, and this fact, plus the need to follow up some of the above facts by getting birth or marriage certificates should keep you busy for a while! It may be that the press cuttings indicate that the Cramphorns were an interesting family!
February 2006
Sharon Cramphorn (sharon.cramphorn @t btinternet.com) of Barnoldswick, Lancashire, writes While researching my husband's family tree I have found mention of Robert & Mary Cramphorn on your site. You state that in the 1851 census they are both aged 44 and living in Half Moon Yard, St Albans with their 8 children starting with David aged 20 down to Anna aged 4, although you do not specify the names and ages of the middle children. These details tie in with my research in that I believe my husband is descended from their son David. However I have been looking at the 1851 census online via Ancestry.co.uk and I cannot locate the entry for this family. I have tried all the usual mistranscriptions such as Crampton and still can't find anything. Could you direct me to an online entry or give me the details of all the family living at that address in 1851. This would be particularly useful as I am trying to link two Cramphorn families both living in Burnley in 1881 onwards who were both born in St Albans but who are not brothers. I think it is possible that Robert is the common ancestor.
I reproduce the name part of the 1851 census entry. Ancestry indexes the name as "Bampton" and you might care to submit an amendment. It is correctly transcribed in the printed index of Population ... Volume 2: The St Albans Region
If you can add to the information given above tell me.