Seeking information on this family line: ORANGE P. CRANFORD born 1822, supposedly in Cranford, England) married LAURA BRITTAIN ( born 1927 in N.C.) in Davidson County,NC marriage bond dated May 22, 1847. Signatories include Orange P. Cranford, Bennett Nooe and Alfred Hargrave (? hard to read). Nooe was cosigner on the marriage bond.

They next appear on the Federal Census enumerated July 20th, 1860 in Richland Township (Richland Post Office), Jefferson County, Arkansas.
O.P.'s age is given as 38, his occupation as Master Carpenter, and his place of birth as N.C. (?) Louisa here appears as L C Cranford, aged 32, born in North Carolina. Their children include a female aged 11, initials perhaps N P, Cranford the writing is unclear; R. H. Cranford, a male aged 9 (my great great grandfather); C F Cranford, a female aged 7.

This was a rented house, and other persons are listed as living there: J (or I) Kelly, a woman aged 40; R. Corkle, a male aged 14; R. Pinkston, a male apprentice carpenter aged 21.

This is all I have about this family, except that once I came across a reference to Orange P.'s death being listed in some sort of Arkansas listing of deaths in 1870. I have not been able to find the source.

The next "Cranford Sighting" takes place in the 1880 Federal Census in Rockwell, Lamar County,Texas, Just Precinct #1. (It was not mentioned on the Census, but NIS lists Rockwell as being in Lamar County.)

Robert Henry Cranford (born about 1851, died about 1924 in Bard, Imperial County, Illinois) is married to (Elizabeth) Bettie Coose (born about 1880 in Tennessee, died 10 June 1905). In their household Emma Cranford, a daughter age 5, born in Arkansas; Jimmy Cranford,a son aged 4, born in Arkansas; and Martha, a daughter aged 11 months. This is the only time we ever hear of the son Jimmy. My grandmother was amazed to learn that there was another boy in the family beside her father.

Last born to this family was my great grandfather, Leonard Lemuel Cranford (born 18 May 1883 in Kauffman County, Texas; died 10 July 1952, Cathay, Mariposa County, California). He married 10 Nov 1901 in Tecumseh, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma Laura Henrietta Elenora Scott (born 18 April 1883, Culleoka, Maury County, Tennessee; died March 1974, Yuma, Arizona).

Their children were Velma Gertrude Cranford (born 25 Sept 1902, Tecumseh, Pottowatomie County, Oklahoma; died 26 October 1906, Tecumseh, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma); Alice Blanche Cranford [living]; Lloyd Lafayette Cranford [Living]; Ralph Herbert Cranford (born 10 September 1908, Tecumseh, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma); Hazel Pauline Cranford (born 24 September 1910, Tecumseh, Pottawatomie County,Oklahoma; died 15 January 1913, Childress, Childress County, Texas); Opal Pearl Cranford [living]; Frankie Mae Cranford [living]