Collins says that he married Elizabeth, daughter of the Baron Pelnets, of Mark, in Germany, and died without issue in 1670. This is very likely correct, but it is to be remembered that Collins has throughout confused this Sir Anthony with his cousin Sir Anthony of Sparsholt, who had several children and did not die till 1713. Next in order comes Thomas Craven, whose grandson eventually succeeded to the family honours. He is wrongly described by Collins and Burke as a knight, inasmuch as in his will, made a few days before his death, he is particularly styled "Gent." From the pedigrees given above it would appear that he was an elder brother of the Sir Anthony just noticed, and so that he was twice passed over in the remainder to the peerage, once in favour of the said Sir Anthony, and again in favour of his own son, Sir William of Benham, and later of Combe. He married Ann, daughter of Francis Procter, of Beckwith, in the parish of Horton and county of York, in 1634, and died as has been noticed in 1682. In his will made on April 13 in that year, after desiring that he may be buried as near as may be to his father in the Church at Burnsall, he bequeaths 50l. to his daughter, Margaret Dawson; 401. each to his grandchildren, Robert, Thomas, and Craven Tophan; 20l. to his niece, Agnes Smith; and 107. to his grandchild, William Dawson; his sons-in-law, William Tophan and Christopher Dawson being appointed his executors. In some accounts appended to his copy of the will to which, by the kindness of Lt.-Col. H. P. Dawson, R. A., the present representative of the family, the writer has had access, Mr. Dawson notes the payment, besides these legacies, of a sum of 50l. to Lady Andros, the eldest daughter, and among the other items in a summary of the assets is to be found "Lady days anuty 50l." In the register of Westminster Abbey published by the Harleian Society, Col. Chester, the editor, has a note on the marriage of Sir Edmund Andrews and Elizabeth Fitzherbert on April 21, 1707. "Sir Edmund, who was knighted in 1681, was first married to Mary, eldest daughter of Thomas Craven of Appletreewick, by Anne, daughter of Francis Proctor of Beckwith, who died in New England, 22 Jan. 1687-8, and was buried at Boston." In the same note he is described as the second son of Amias Andros of Sausmarez, Guernsey, Esq., Marshall of Ceremonies to Car. I., by Eliz., sister of Sir Robert Stone, Knt., Cupbearer to the Queen of Bohemia. The old house at Appletreewick was probably built in 1667, and there is what may once have been part of an old porch or gateway, inscribed with that date and the letters T.C. In the wall of a barn close by there is a stone upon which has been cut W.C. 1665. Tradition says that it is built upon the site of an older house called Elm Tree, and there is still standing outside the gate a large specimen of this kind of tree, which may be of any age, to attest the fact. If the Thomas Craven, whose will has just been noticed, was the owner and builder of the house, it would seem that somehow he had succeeded to the property once in the possession of the other family, as will appear from the lists of names which have already been given. There is a coat of arms over the fireplace in one of the rooms which is the same as that now borne by the Craven family, but without motto, coronet, or supporters. The cottage in which the Alderman is said to have been born stands just opposite the Hall on the other side of the road, but is rapidly falling into decay. William, the only son of Thomas Craven, who was baptised as has been already stated on Aug. 26, 1638, married Margaret, daughter of Sir Christopher Clapham, of Beamsley. He is known sometimes as Sir William Craven, of Benham, and later as of Combe. The Rev. R. C. Edwards, Vicar of Speen, the parish to which Benham used to belong, has kindly copied from the parish register the extracts which follow, and has drawn attention to a passage in a local history (Money's Hist. of Speen, p. 26), in which it is stated that Benham was sold "to the trustees of Sir William Craven" in 1630, by Sir Francis Castillion. The estate is now the property of the trustees of the late Sir Richard Sutton, Bart. 1668 Nov. 12-- William, son of) William, Earl of Craven William Craven, knight, was baptised. 1671 Christopher ye son of Sir) Will Craven, knight, was baptd 1672 Dec. 3-John ye son of Margaret his Lady was 1676 Dec. 21-Elisabeth, &c. 1678 Sep.-Elizabeth, &c. 1679 Dec. 29-Anthony, son of Sir William Craven and Margaret his Lady. Sir Christopher Clapham Sir St. John Moore William, Earle of Craven Mr. Christopher Clapham Sponsors. Sponsors. Sponsors. Sponsors. -Sponsors. Sponsors. Sponsors. Sponsors. The latest date known to the writer at which Sir William Craven is described as of Benham is April 19, 1680, and he had a child baptized at Combe on Nov. 20 in that year (cf. Binley register in the appendix). Benham seems to have passed to Sir Anthony Craven of Sparsholt. Sir William died on Oct. 28, 1695, in the 57th year of his age; administration of his goods was granted to his widow, Dame Margaret Craven, on Jan. 25, 1695-6. Of Anthony Craven, the head of the second family, we know little that has not been already told in the earlier part of this paper. Collins says that he was descended from John Craven, who is also said to have been the head of the other family, and he is described as cousin in the alderman's will: a fact which lends support to Collins' statement, which by itself is of little value, as he has throughout confused this Anthony with the alderman's brother Anthony Craven of Darley. His son Thomas married, as has been stated, Margaret, the daughter of Robert Craven of the other family, and died in 1636. In a nuncupative will he divides his goods into three parts, one for his wife, one for his children, and the third, the "deads part," to be divided equally amongst his wife and children. He directs that his debts are to be paid out of his whole goods and his funeral out of the "deads part.' His wife Margaret is appointed sole executrix, and is to have his tenement till his eldest son accomplishes 21 years, for the education of him and the rest of the children. Matthew Jackson and John and Robert Craven are witnesses. No other names are mentioned. The will is dated April 20, 1636, and was proved Sept. 5, 1637. It is in the registry at York, and these extracts from it have been supplied to the writer by the kindness of Dr. F. Collins. Anthony Craven, the son of Thomas by his marriage with Margaret Craven, was born, as has been said, in 1626. His name appears in a deed at Burnsall as Anthony Craven, son of Thomas Craven, late of Elm Tree in Appletreewick in 1649, and again in 1657. In 1660, as Anthony Craven of Appletree Wicke, co. Yorke, gent., he is associated with Lord Craven in two documents which record the conveyance to them of fishings called the Bishop's fishings to the castle and lordship of Norham in the river Tweed, and a house once the property of Sir Walter Raleigh near St. James, in the parish of St. Martin's-in-the-fields (Rot. Claus. Car. II. 12, parts ii, 40 & vi, 5). On May 25, 1661, he was granted a baronetcy as Anthony Craven of "Sparsholt, co. Berks (Cal. S. P.), and he was knighted on June 14 in the same year. At various times he is described as of Caversham, Sparsholt, and Benham in the county of Berks, and finally in his will, as of Lenchwick in co. Worcester. On April 7, 1662, he had a licence from the Faculty Office as "Sir Anthony Craven, Knt. and Bart. of Sparsholt, Berks, Bach. 30," to marry "Theodosia Wiseman of Much Canfield, Essex, spinst. 23, her parents dead (alleged by Edmund Wiseman of St. Martin's, Ludgate, Citizen and Mercer of London) at St. Peter's, West Cheap, or St. Benet's, Paul's Wharf, London. Le Neve says that he had two sons, John and William, and four daughters, Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, and Elener (?).12 In 11 There are no entries of Cravens in the parish register at Sparsholt, which begins in 1559. See pedigree in appendix. Foster's" Alumni Oxoniensis," it is stated that John Craven matriculated from Wadham College in January, 1687-8 as "bart. fil." took his B.A. in 1691, his M. A. in 1694, was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1691 as "second son of Anthony of Beenham, Berks, Kut. and Bart." A licence was issued by the Faculty Office, dated Sept. 30, 1692, for the marriage of Samuel Palmer of All Hallows, Lombard Street, London, Bach. 35, and Elizabeth Craven, Spinst. 28, daughter of Sir Anthony Craven, Kt. and Bart. of Benham, Berks, who consents, at St. Mary Abchurch, London. Sir Anthony's will is dated April 1, 1712 (cod. Jan. 12, 1712–3), and it was proved by Joseph Archer, the sole executor, on May 12, 1713 (P. C. C. 98 Leeds). In it he styles himself as "Sir Anthony Craven, of Lenchwick, in the County of Worcester, knight and baronet,' and bequeathes to his "daughter, Mary Broughton, wife of Edward Broughton, Esq.," 1s.; to his grandson, Samuel Palmer, all his leasehold estate in the parish of Barford, Berks., after the death of Theodosia, his wife, for the remainder of his term therein; to the said grandson and his heirs for ever, the Manor of Sparsholt, &c., Berks., and also all his "guns and pistolls and other armes ;" to his grandson, Edward Broughton, 100l. ; to his godson, Robert, eldest son of Joseph Archer, of Bivington, co. Warwick, Esq., 1007.; to the poor of the parish of Lenchwick and Norton, 10.; to his three granddaughters, Elizabeth, Theodosia, and Ann Palmer, 500l. each. And in case the last will and Testament of his son, William Craven, Esq., deceased, shall stand and be adjudged a good will as regards such legacies as are given by the same to his granddaughter, Elizabeth Palmer, then he makes void his legacy to her. Samuel Palmer13 is made residuary legatee, and by a codicil, 500l. more apiece is devised to the granddaughters if their brother lives to inherit the estates (cf. Notes and Queries, 8th S., iv. pp. 148, 333; v. p. 405). In his "Collection for the History of Speen, Mr. W. Money gives among the epitaphs in the Church there (which were copied on Sept. 10, 1770, by Mr. Thomas Hayward, Attorney at Hungerford) the following: In this Vault Lye interrd ye bodys of William Craven, 13 He succeeded to the Manor of Sparsholt and was buried in the Church there in 1726. |