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CRAY Vindication of Christmas Film Showcase
15/10/2023
On Thursday 12th October 2023 CRAY presented our copleted documentary film at its first public screening at St Paulinus Church, ...
Laurence Clarkson: A Ranter in Dartford 1648
04/10/2023
Dartford, during the Civil War, proved itself to be a hotbed of idealists. Radicals, Vavasor Powell and Leveller John Lilburne ...
A Story Book Finish
10/08/2023
To complete our Vindication of Christmas project, CRAY have produced a storybook that covers the fascinating events that involved our ...
Edward May: Crayford's Royalist, Rebel, Rector
23/07/2023
Edward May appears under the year 1643 on the St Paulinus rector board. This was the year that Dr Thomas ...
The Vindication of Christmas Show December 2022
22/07/2023
MoD Theatre Company followed on history sessions in class by training each participating year group to put on a Vindication ...
Who was the Reverend David Clarkson, the Second Rector 'Intruded by Parliament' on Crayford?
22/07/2023
The Reverend David Clarkson was the second Puritan rector ‘imposed by parliament’, on the parishioners of Crayford. This article looks ...
Retribution: William Draper and the Aftermath of the Second Civil War
22/07/2023
Shortly after the end of the Second Civil War, Crayford’s Lord of the Manor, William Draper was appointed to the ...
CRAY Vindication of Christmas Finale at River Mill School Fete
22/07/2023
CRAY were keen to complete our project by marking the 375th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Civil War ...
Leveller Free Born John Lilburne Comes to Dartford Sunday 23 January 1648
22/07/2023
After the Royalist defeat at Naseby in 1645, Charles I escaped to Oxford, before surrendering to the Scots, who ransomed ...
The Restoration: Charles II, Meets General Monck on Dartford Heath
22/07/2023
Charles Stuart was restored to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland in May 1660. Such an outcome was a ...
Puritan Powell and the Plague
21/07/2023
Vavasour Powell served as rector of Holy Trinity church, Dartford, at a difficult time when a war weary down was ...
Hopping Mad: Clarkson versus May - A Crayford Civil War
20/07/2023
The Reverend David Clarkson was the second Puritan rector ‘imposed by parliament’, on the parishioners of Crayford. Having driven out ...
The Battle of Maidstone 1st June 1648: The New Model Army 'Storm' that Ended the Royalist Rebellion
19/07/2023
Shortly after the skirmish at Stone Bridge, Northfleet, the Royalist rebels faced a conclusive showdown with General Fairfax and his ...
Thorowgood's Diary: At the Trial of King Charles I in Westminster Hall
13/07/2023
Crayford’s rector from 1647-1649 was the Parliament-imposed Puritan, Thomas Thorowgood. He arrived in Crayford from his native Norfolk because it ...
The Crayford New Model Army Muster and the Battle of Stone Bridge, Northfleet, 1st June 1648
13/07/2023
Records show that there were a number of Crayford, Royalist, rebels. Crayford’s Rector Edward May, parish clerk Thomas Andrews, blacksmith ...
May Place House RH Viz VR Training
13/07/2023
Rob Nutter of RH Viz worked with CRAY volunteers to help us step back in time to when Fairfax’s New ...
'And others intruded by Parliament.' Crayford Rector (1647-49) Thomas Thorowgood
17/02/2023
The rector board at St. Paulinus church, Crayford does not show the name of Thomas Thorowgood, who was rector from ...
3D VR Virtual Reality on KUULA.co: May Place and the Crayford Heath Muster
16/01/2023
CRAY worked with Rob Nutter of RH Viz to create two virtual reality tours that can transport you back to ...
ORIGINAL MUSIC: You'll Never Stop Christmas Time
16/01/2023
CRAY worked with singer-songwriter Vince Burke to create a song we could get local children to sing to mark the ...
The Vindication of Christmas Exhibition Panel 6
15/01/2023
Panel 6 of the VOC exhibition looks at the consequences of the Second English Civil War. This included the execution ...
The Vindication of Christmas Exhibition Panel 5
15/01/2023
Panel 5 of the VOC exhibition deals with the events of the Second English Civil War in Kent. Anger with ...
The Vindication of Christmas Exhibition Panel 4
15/01/2023
In 1647 the people of Kent rose to defend Christmas in what became known as the Plum Pudding Riots. This ...
The Vindication of Christmas Exhibition Panel 3
15/01/2023
Panel 3 of our exhibition looks at events that took place locally during the First English Civil War between 1642 ...
The Vindication of Christmas Exhibition
15/01/2023
On November 20th 2022, CRAY worked with British Museum archaeologist and illustrator Kate Morton to develop our Vindication of Christmas ...
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Latest comments
Robert Sutton
on
David Evans – The Last of the London Fabric Printers.
11/07/2026
My Grandad George Hammond worked there for many years until he retired, I believe he was a foreman in the...
Peter Rawlings
on
Vickers Factory at Crayford 1918-1985
15/05/2026
My Great Grandmother Mildred Swift worked in the bayonet shop in WW1
Miss Rebecca Haydock
on
Animation: The Fabric of Our Town
18/02/2026
Thomas Schindler is also my great-great-grandfather!
Frances Healy
on
Vickers Factory at Crayford 1918-1985
20/11/2025
My Dad, Joe Chadwick, worked at Vickers in the 1940's and 50's. We migrated to Australia from Dartford in 1965....
More new comments
Robert Sutton on David Evans – The Last of the London Fabric Printers.
Peter Rawlings on Vickers Factory at Crayford 1918-1985
Miss Rebecca Haydock on Animation: The Fabric of Our Town
Frances Healy on Vickers Factory at Crayford 1918-1985