CRANMER FAMILY - In 1729, Stephen Cranmer settled at Bass River, on the farm known as the 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.
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 but little if any learning, and orthography suffered in their lands.
William, Josiah and probably Thomas Cranmer were the forefathers of the Cranmers of Ocean County, N.J., and John and Stephen were the ancestors of the Cranmers of Burlington County, who settled at Bass River.
The Cranmera are note 1 (especially former generations) for being partial to family names, it being a tradition among the family that there were six Josiah Cranmers, all residing within 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 were quite numerous, many of which still reside in the township, and are classed among the more prominent farmers in Bass River township.
