Cranshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the name Cranshaw date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the village of Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in Lancashire. The name is derived from the Old English "cran(uc)" which means "crane" + "sceaga" which means "grove" or "thicket." 1 Another source claims the name literally means "the twisting or winding shaw (wood.)" 2

Early Origins of the Cranshaw family

The surname Cranshaw was first found in Lancashire at Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in the parish of Rochdale or Bury. One of the first records of the name was William de Crounkeshawe who was listed there in 1412. 3

Cranshaws Castle or Cranshaws Tower is a 15th-century pele near the village of Cranshaws in Berwickshire, Scotland. The castle is thought to be the inspiration for "Ravenswood Castle", home of Edgar, the hero of Sir Walter Scott's tragedy the Bride of Lammermoor.

Early History of the Cranshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cranshaw research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1572, 1590, 1610, 1612, 1626, 1649 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Cranshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cranshaw Spelling Variations

Cranshaw has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Cranshaw have been found, including Crawshaw, Crawshay, Crawshawe, Cranshaw, Crankshaw and many more.

Early Notables of the Cranshaw family

Distinguished members of the family include William Crashaw (1572-1626), English Puritan divine and poet, son of Richard Crashaw of Handsworth, near Sheffield, Yorkshire.Major Joseph Croshaw (1610-1667), son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw, was a substantial planter living near Williamsburg in the US Colony and Dominion...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cranshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cranshaw migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cranshaws to arrive on North American shores:

Cranshaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Cranshaw, who arrived in New York in 1839 4

Cranshaw migration to Australia +

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

Cranshaw Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Cranshaw who was convicted in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 19th March 1857, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 5

Cranshaw migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cranshaw Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

David Cranshaw, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1858

Contemporary Notables of the name Cranshaw (post 1700) +

Melbourne Robert "Bob" Cranshaw (1932-2016), American jazz bassist
Joseph Patrick Cranshaw (1919-2005), American film and television actor

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara