Crutchfeld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Crutchfeld family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found near a crossroads. The name is derived from the Old English word crouch, and/or cruc.

Early Origins of the Crutchfeld family

The surname Crutchfeld was first found in Somerset where John atte Crouche was the first listing of the family 1, Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John atte Cruche (no county); Millesenta Cruche, Norfolk; and Robert Cruche, Norfolk. 2

"This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the cross,' i.e. the roadside or market-cross, once so familiar a sight at the intersection of the great country thoroughfares, or in the chartered market-steads. Crouch still lingers in our 'crutched' or 'crouched friars.' Langland describes a pilgrim as having 'many a crouch' embroidered 'on his cloke.' Blomefield says of an old Norwich church, 'St. Crowche's was dedicated in honour of the Invention of the Holy Cross, but is now totally demolished; the churchyard is still surrounded with common lanes or passages'." 3

The word crouch "was applied in general to such crosses as stood at the intersection of two roads and although they have long disappeared, they have left the name of 'cross' and 'crouch' upon many localities, especially in the South of England. In Sussex, where the name is one of the oldest indigenous designations (especially in the Cinque Ports) it is found in the forms of Crouch and De Cruce, 20 Edw. I." 4

In Scotland, the name was derived "from a residence at or near a roadside cross or crucifix, ME. crouche. The surname is more English than Scottish. Johannes Crooch witnessed a confirmation charter by Alexander Cumyn, earl of Buchan, to the canons of St. Andrews. John Cruche was burgess of the Canongate, Edinburgh, 1567." 5

Early History of the Crutchfeld family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crutchfeld research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1607, 1628, 1635, 1660, 1671, 1679, 1681, 1710, 1775, 1780 and 1786 are included under the topic Early Crutchfeld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crutchfeld 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 Crutchfeld include Crouch, Crooch, Croucher, Croutch, Crowch, Crowcher, Crouche and many more.

Early Notables of the Crutchfeld family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Crouch (1607-1679), an English academic and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679.Humphrey Crouch or Crowch (fl. 1635-1671), was an English ballad-writer and pamphleteer, probably belonged to the family of publishers named Crouch, who traded largely in popular literature in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. "Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps has suggested that Humphrey was brother of John Crouch, the Royalist verse-writer. It is equally likely that he stood in the same relation to Edward Crouch or Crowch, John Crouch's publisher, and that he was father or uncle of Nathaniel...
Another 310 words (22 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crutchfeld Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crutchfeld 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 Crutchfeld or a variant listed above: Richard, Nicholas, Richard, and Thomas Crouch who settled in Virginia in 1623; followed by Eliza in 1653; William Crouch settled in Charlestown in 1654.

Citations +

Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)