Crabtray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Crabtray family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the county of Yorkshire. Their name, however, indicates that the original bearer lived near a prominent crabtree. 1

Early Origins of the Crabtray family

The surname Crabtray was first found in Yorkshire where "this is a great Yorkshire surname. It is odd to think that by dwelling beside a particular crab-tree, the descendants of a particular pair should so increase that a perceptibly large number of people in the county of York should now be familiarly known by the name." 2

The predominance of the name in Yorkshire is of little doubt. However, not all sources agree. Another source claims: "Crabtree is also a Lancashire name" 3 and yet another notes that the name was derived from "a location name in Devon." 4

Early census records may help in this search. "Depositions from York Castle" noted that John Crabtre and William Crabtree as residing there, but no dates were given. John atte Crabbetrywe was listed in Essex in 1301. 1

Early History of the Crabtray family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crabtray research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1563, 1610, 1620, 1639, 1644, 1667, 1685, 1706, 1881 and 1968 are included under the topic Early Crabtray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crabtray 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 Crabtray include Crabtree, Crabbtree, Craybtree, Crabbetree and many more.

Early Notables of the Crabtray family

Distinguished members of the family include William Crabtree (1610-1644), English astronomer, mathematician, one of only two people to observe the first recorded transit of Venus in 1639. Born in the hamlet of Broughton Spout, Lancashire, he was also a mathematician and merchant. He is celebrated in one of the Manchester Murals in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall, painted by Ford Madox Brown in 1881. Henry Crabtree or Krabtree (fl. 1685), was an English "astrologer, would scarcely deserve mention here but for the fact that he has sometimes...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crabtray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crabtray 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 Crabtray or a variant listed above: Edward Crabtree who was farming in Virginia in 1635.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.