THE CRAVENS

CRAVEN FAMILY HISTORY

 Our Craven family was centred on Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire

The Leeds Cravens were very much at the heart of the industrialisation of the city. The last four generations of heads of the family were all involved in the iron and steel industry - furnacemen, forgemen and iron puddlers. The centre of the family was around Armley and Wortley, although past four generations, the family was actually to be found on the outskirts of Leeds and Bradford at Calverley.

This was clearly a religious family. Four heads of the family were christened Joshua, the two previous ones both being Abraham. Having said that, marriages took place in all sorts of churches, from Rehoboth chapels to Leeds Parish Church and, indeed, the Leeds Register Office

Joshua Craven, born in 1874 married Elizabeth Spink, the daughter of a long line of fruit dealers who actually originated in Knaresborough. Spink fruit dealers have also been found in Goole, one of the districts important ports, and investigations are under way to see if there is a connection.

Significant events are:
Abraham Craven, married Ann Carr 7 Apr 1729 in Calverley.
Abraham, son of Abraham, born Calverley 1736.
Abraham, son of Abraham, married Elizabeth Stansfield 1793 in Calverley.
Joshua, son of Abraham born 1802 married Sarah Lodge at Leeds, St. Peters 2 Mar 1823.
Joshua, son of Joshua born 1829 Armley, married Elizabeth Nicholls at Leeds, St. Peters 1 Apr 1849.
Thomas, son of Joshua born ? married Harriet Ingram at Rehoboth Methodist, Leeds 5 Aug 1871.
Joshua, son of Thomas born 1871, married Elizabeth Spink at Leeds R.O. 30 Aug 1919.
Alma Craven, daur of Joshua born 1821, married George Horsfall at Leeds, St. Peters 1948.

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