Cromwel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Cromwel has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in the parish of Cromwell in the county of Nottinghamshire, a diocese of Lincolnshire.

Early Origins of the Cromwel family

The surname Cromwel 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 Cromwel family

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

Cromwel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Cromwel have been found, including Cromwell, Cromwelle, Cromville, Cromewell, Cromwill, Cromwille, Cromevill, Cromnvell and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromwel 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)

Migration of the Cromwel family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Cromwel, 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.