Cromewell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancient history of the Cromewell name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the parish of Cromwell in the county of Nottinghamshire, a diocese of Lincolnshire.

Early Origins of the Cromewell family

The surname Cromewell 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 Cromewell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromewell 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 Cromewell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromewell 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 Cromewell include Cromwell, Cromwelle, Cromville, Cromewell, Cromwill, Cromwille, Cromevill, Cromnvell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromewell 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); an English military and political leader and later Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, Lieutenant General of horse in Manchester's army in 1644, supporter of the king's trial and execution, believing that killing Charles was the only way to end the civil wars, became extremely ill in 1658 resulting in death; Elizabeth Cromwell (née Bourchier) (1598-1665) , wife of...
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cromewell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cromewell 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 Cromewell or a variant listed above: Giles Cromwell who settled in Newbury in 1648; John Cromwell settled in Boston in 1652; Samuel Cromwell settled in North America in 1634;, Phillip Cromwell settled there in 1657..

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.