Show ContentsCranmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Cranmore family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the region of Cranemere.One of the first record of the name was Nigel de Cranemore who was listed in the in census records of 1235. A few years later Hugh de Cranemere was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of Hertfordshire in 1275 and almost a century later Thomas de Cranmer was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1373. [1]

Early Origins of the Cranmore family

The surname Cranmore was first found in Nottinghamshire at Whatton, a parish, in the union, and north division of the wapentake, of Bingham. "The church is an ancient structure, with a handsome tower surmounted by a spire, and contains the effigy of a Knight Templar in armour, and a tablet in memory of Thomas Cranmer, father of the archbishop, who was born at Aslacton in 1489." [2]

Another branch of the family was found at Horsforth in the West Riding of Yorkshire in early times. "This place, in the Domesday Survey Horseford, formed part of the revenue of Kirkstall Abbey, after the dissolution of which establishment, the manor was granted to the Cranmer family, who sold it to Lord Clinton." [2]

Early History of the Cranmore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cranmore research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1489, 1556, 1563 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Cranmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cranmore 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 Cranmore include Cranmer, Cranmar, Crammer and others.

Early Notables of the Cranmore family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), Archbishop of Canterbury, born at Aslacton in Nottinghamshire 2 July 1489. "He came of an old family, originally of Lincolnshire, but for some generations settled in the county of his birth. His father, who bore the same Christian name as himself, put him to school 'with a marvellous severe and cruel schoolmaster,'...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cranmore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cranmore family

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 Cranmore or a variant listed above: John Crammer who settled in New England in 1805.


Contemporary Notables of the name Cranmore (post 1700) +

  • George Cranmore, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 5th District, 1952 [3]


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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