Show ContentsCrossdall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Crossdall family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Crossdale, in the county of Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Crossdall family

The surname Crossdall was first found in Yorkshire, where the earliest record of the name occurs was of Johannes de Crosdale in 1379 who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls in 1379. [1]

Some of the family held estates at Waddington in the West Riding of Yorkshire since early times. "This place afforded an asylum to the unfortunate monarch Henry VI., who, after the battle of Hexham, was entertained at Waddington Hall, the property of the Croasdale family, and protected by concealment from the pursuit of his enemies for nearly twelve months." [2] There is no doubt that the name is from the Yorkshire/Lancashire borders but the local seems to have been lost over the years.

Early History of the Crossdall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crossdall research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1688, 1737, 1751, 1762, 1768, 1776, 1778, 1782 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Crossdall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crossdall 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 Crossdall include Crossdale, Crosedill, Crosdale, Croasdale, Crossdell, Crosdell, Croasdell and many more.

Early Notables of the Crossdall family

Notables of the family at this time include John Crossdill, born in London in 1751. He received his early musical education in the choir of Westminster Abbey under John Robinson and Benjamin Cooke. Upon quitting the choir he became a performer on the violoncello, and soon attained to considerable proficiency. In 1768 he became a member of the Royal Society of Musicians, and in the following year appeared at Gloucester, as principal violoncello at the meeting of the Three Choirs, a position which he continued to occupy until his...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crossdall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crossdall 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 Crossdall or a variant listed above: Thomas Crossdale who arrived in Philadelphia in 1866.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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