Melinda,
I have never heard the story of the gun runner or disowning the father but it has always seemed likely that the name came from Germany. I have seen the name spelled several ways, CRITOPHE, CRILOPH, CRITIFF,CRITOFT, CRITEUP, CRYTOPH, CRITIFFE but most of the records that I've seen are CRITOPH. I'll have to watch for CRISTOPH. My wife and I were in England in May and spent the day with Blanche Neale, daughter of Emily Cordelia(Critoph)Stokes (Emily is the sister of Isambard Critoph), she told us that she remembered a story that her grandfather was very upset with the GERMAN COUSINS who were visiting, since they wanted to play cards on a Sunday. Her grandfather was William Critoph, born 1828. This lends credence to the German background, but since I have found records of the birth of William, his father and grandfather, the first German posibility would be Robert born about 1729. I have found two marriages for him but have not been able to find his birth. He and his second wife are buried in Gresham, Norfolk. We found the Church and grave during our visit.
