Crable History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Crable history starts with such a migration. As the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refers either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, physical appearance, habits, or character, among other attributes. Flemish names of this type frequently feature the prefixes lile, which meant the. The surname Crable is a nickname for a cross-grained, ill-tempered, or fractious person. The surname Crable may have been applied as a nickname for some who was crabby. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word crabba, which means crab, or from the Old English word crabbe, which means wild apple. This latter reference implies that the origin may lie as a habitation name "one who lives near the wild apple trees." 1

Early Origins of the Crable family

The surname Crable was first found in Cambridge but the Crail variant may have come from much farther north in Fife, Scotland where the former royal burgh so named was derived from the Pictish word "caer" which meant fort. Today Crail is the home to the oldest golf club in the world, instituted in February 1786.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Henry Crabbe, Cambridgeshire; Robert Crabbe, Somerset; and Richard Crabbe, Norfolk. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had two listings of the family: Matilda Crab; and Johannes Crabbe. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "the first of the name of prominence was Paul Crab, in Aberdeen, 1310." 2

One of the most famous early family members was John Crabbe (fl.1305-1352), a Flemish merchant, pirate and soldier. He defended Berwick Castle for the Scots against English forces in 1318, but after being captured by the English in 1332, he then assisted the English when they again besieged at Berwick in 1333.

As an engineer, he was in charge of the siege machine, causing "sore problems" for the English defenders of the Castle. In that year, the Count of Flanders committed to the King that if he caught John Crabb he would hang him for 'murder'. However, this same John Crabb was a much sought after commander, and King Robert the Bruce rewarded him with lands in Auchmolen, Auchterrony, and Prescoby, for his services with his siege machine. In 1332, John Crabb also assisted Bruce in the siege of Perth.

The same person became high on the political scale of the Scottish nation, and his sept branched into many directions. He treated with the English for the release of Earl David of Huntingdon, and ultimately obtained his release for him to become King David of Scotland. The name flourished for the next few centuries on their many estates. 2

Early History of the Crable family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crable research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1331, 1332, 1362, 1384, 1398, 1401, 1621, 1641, 1642, 1680, 1754, 1832 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Crable History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crable Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Crabb, Crabbe, Crab, Crabe and others.

Early Notables of the Crable family

Prominent in the family at this time was John Crabb of Auchmolen; and Roger Crab (1621-1680), an English soldier, haberdasher, herbal doctor and writer from Buckinghamshire who some believe was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's The Mad Hatter. Another source claims he was a hermit, a native of Buckinghamshire. "About 1641 he began to restrict himself to a vegetarian diet, avoiding even butter and cheese. From roots he got to a regimen of broth thickened with bran, and pudding made of bran and turnip leaves chopped together, and finally resorted to...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crable Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crable migration to the United States +

Some of the first North American settlers with Crable name or one of its variants:

Crable Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Erick Crable, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "Molley John Hodgeson" 3
Michell Crable, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "Molley John Hodgeson" 3

Crable Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

James Crable, aged 35, who arrived in America, in 1916
James Crable, aged 36, who arrived in Denver, Colorado, in 1917
Rosina Crable, aged 24, who arrived in America from Andernach, Germany, in 1924
Adele Crable, aged 4, who arrived in America from Andernach, Germany, in 1924
George Crable, aged 32, who arrived in Portland, Maine, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Crable (post 1700) +

Francis D. Crable, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1932, 1936 4
George Elmer Crable (b. 1885), American Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched in two games for the 1910 Brooklyn Superbas
Robert Edward Crable (b. 1959), former American professional NFL football linebacker who played for the New York Jets from 1982 to 1987
Shawn Crable (b. 1984), American professional NFL and CFL football defensive end

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html