Crafter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Crafter family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in an area that was near the croft.The surname is the northern form of Croft and it's literal meaning is the area of arable land that was located by a cottage that was worked on by the farmer. 1 2

"It may also sometimes be from Anglo-Saxon cræfta, a craftsman, or the same as the German names Craft, Crafto, Kraft; probably from kraft, strength, force, power. Ferguson mentions an Old German Crafto as the name of a member of a noble family in the twelfth or thirteenth century." 3

Early Origins of the Crafter family

The surname Crafter was first found in Essex, where Aluric Craft was listed as a Knights Templar in 1185. Almost one hundred years later, Basil Craft was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1283. 4

Over in Warwickshire, Roger de Craft was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1213 and the same rolls listed de Croft (no forename) in 1214. Later, the Assize Rolls of 1222 included Robert de Craft in 1222. 4

Roger de Crafte, Bedfordshire, was listed there Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. 5

Early History of the Crafter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crafter research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1213, 1222, 1275, 1283, 1620, 1774, 1786, 1787, 1795, 1802, 1805, 1862 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Crafter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crafter Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Crafter include Craft, Crafte, Craftin, Crafton and others.

Early Notables of the Crafter family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Roger de Craft, a prominent 13th century landholder in Warwickshire.William H. Craft (d. 1805?), the English enamel-painter, a prolific artist, was employed at the Battersea enamel works. He was probably a relation, perhaps a son, of Thomas Craft, who was employed at the porcelain works at Bow, and executed the bowl now in the British Museum, to which he affixed an account of its production, rendering it one of the few pieces of Bow China that have been authenticated. William Craft exhibited numerous enamels at the Royal Academy in the years 1774-1795. They...
Another 163 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crafter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crafter migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Crafter or a variant listed above:

Crafter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Crafter, who arrived in Virginia in 1727
John Crafter, who settled in Maryland in 1766

Crafter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Crafter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry P. Crafter, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Warren Hastings"
Charles Crafter, aged 31, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"

Historic Events for the Crafter family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Frederick Crafter, aged 27, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 15 6

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html