Contents [hide]

Cromwell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Cromwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Cromwell come from when the family resided in the parish of Cromwell in the county of Nottinghamshire, a diocese of Lincolnshire.

Early Origins of the Cromwell family

The surname Cromwell was first found in Lincolnshire at Tattershall where they claim descent from the time of King John as Lords Cromwell of Tateshall (Tattershall) Castle. 1

Some of the earliest records of the name include: Ralph de Cromwella, de Crumwella who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1177 and 1199 of Nottinghamshire. 2 John de Cromwell (d. c. 1335) was the 1st Baron Cromwell.

"The manor-house [of South Wingfield, Derbyshire], now an interesting ruin, was a splendid edifice, erected by Ralph, Lord Cromwell, in the reign of Henry VI., and afterwards, for several generations, one of the principal seats of the earls of Shrewsbury. Mary, Queen of Scots, while in the custody of George, the sixth earl, passed some months here in 1569, and was also here in Nov. and Dec. 1584." 3

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), one of most controversial figures in the history of the British Isles was born in Huntingdon. By 1653, he was the 1st Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, a position that held until his death of natural causes. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, but when the Royalists returned to power in 1660, they had his corpse dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded him.

Early History of the Cromwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromwell research. Another 267 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1485, 1534, 1539, 1540, 1589, 1598, 1599, 1624, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1637, 1644, 1653, 1655, 1658, 1659, 1660, 1665, 1668, 1674, 1682, 1687, 1712 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Cromwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromwell Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Cromwell has been recorded under many different variations, including Cromwell, Cromwelle, Cromville, Cromewell, Cromwill, Cromwille, Cromevill, Cromnvell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromwell family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Oliver Cromwell (died 1655), an English landowner, lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1589 and 1625, uncle of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)
Elizabeth Cromwell (née Bourchier) (1598-1665) , wife of Oliver Cromwell, sometimes referred to as the Lady Protectress or Protectress Joan
Wingfield Cromwell, 2nd Earl of Ardglass, DCL (1624-1668), an English nobleman
Thomas Cromwell, 3rd Earl of Ardglass (1653-1682), an English nobleman
Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass (1625-1687), an English nobleman
Henry Cromwell (1628-1674), the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier, seventh Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin between 1653 and 1660
Richard Cromwell (1626-1712), the third son of Oliver Cromwell, second ruling Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, serving for just under nine months (1658-1659)

Cromwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Cromwell is the 2,772^nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Cromwell migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Cromwell or a variant listed above:

Cromwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Cromwell, who settled in North America in 1634
Samuel Cromwell, who landed in Massachusetts in 1634 5
Giles Cromwell who settled in Newbury in 1648
Thomas Cromwell, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1649 5
John Cromwell, who settled in Boston in 1652
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cromwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Isaac Cromwell, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1812 5
Samuel Cromwell, aged 39, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 5
J Cromwell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
B Cromwell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Cromwell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cromwell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Josiah Cromwell U.E. who settled in Portland [North End], Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 6

Cromwell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Cromwell, who landed in Canada in 1834
James Cromwell, who landed in Canada in 1836

Cromwell 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:

Cromwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Cromwell, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Jane Gifford
Alexander Cromwell, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 7
John Cromwell, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 7
John Cromwell, aged 3, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 7
Mary Cromwell, aged 1, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cromwell (post 1700) +

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), English military and political leader, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland
Dean Bartlett Cromwell (1879-1962), nicknamed "Maker of Champions", an American athletic coach in multiple sports, head coach for the U.S. track team at the 1948 Olympic Games
Nolan Neil Cromwell (b. 1955), American football player and coach
Chad Cromwell (b. 1957), American drummer, best known for his work with Neil Young, Mark Knopfler and with Joe Walsh
Richard Cromwell (1910-1960), born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh, an American actor, best known for his roles in Jezebel (1938), The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) and Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Captain John Philip Cromwell (1901-1943), American submariner awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1943, eponym of the USS Cromwell (DE-1014), a Dealey-class destroyer escort 8
Elwood Dager "John" Cromwell (1887-1979), highly regarded American film actor and stage and film director who was blacklisted
William Nelson Cromwell (1854-1948), American attorney who co-founded Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York in 1879
James Oliver Cromwell (b. 1940), American actor nominated for an Oscar, three Emmy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards 9
James Henry Roberts Cromwell (1896-1990), American diplomat and candidate for the United States Senate 10
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
John Cromwell. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) John Cromwell. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Cromwell
James Cromwell. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) James Cromwell. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cromwell
James Cromwell. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) James Cromwell. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._R._Cromwell