| ![Show Contents]() Crutchlow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient history of the Crutchlow name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided as dwellers at the crosslea. The surname Crutchlow originally derived from the Old English word cruche which meant cross or crucifix. 1 Other sources disagree. One source claims the name is from "Crickley; a location name in Gloucestershire." 2 And another claims the name is "from a geographical locality 'of Critchlow,' or 'Chritchlow,' some small spot in Lancashire, probably in the neighbourhood of Chorley. I have failed to discover it." 3 We can find no record of Chritchlow in Lancashire today. Early Origins of the Crutchlow familyThe surname Crutchlow was first found in Northumberland where Vkke de Crikelawa was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. Later, John de Cruchelowe was found in Lancashire in 1342. 4 Early Cheshire records proved to be resourceful. The Wills at Chester include: Richard Crichlow, of Leyland, 1587; John Crichlowe, of Croxton, 1593; and Thomas Chrichlowe, of Leyland, 1606. The use of the spellings Critchley and Chrichlow seemed to be interchangeable as the Preston Guild Rolls record the same person with different spellings at different times: Edmund Crichlow, 1662; and Edmund Critchley, 1682. 3 The Lancashire Wills at Richmond list Anne Chrichlaw, of Ashtonliank, 1673; and William Critchley, of Lea, 1673. In Scotland, the spelling used was typically Critchley, and was "recorded in Inverness, doubtless from Critchlow or Chritchlaw, some small spot in Lancashire." 5 Early History of the Crutchlow familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crutchlow research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1200 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Crutchlow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Crutchlow Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Crutchlow include Critchley, Critchlie, Critchlow, Crichley, Crichlie, Crichly, Critchly, Crichlow, Crichelow, Cricheley, Crichelie, Crichely, Cretchley, Cretchlie, Cretchleigh, Critchleigh, Crichleigh, Cretchlow, Critchloe and many more. Early Notables of the Crutchlow familyMore information is included under the topic Early Crutchlow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Crutchlow familySearching 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 Crutchlow or a variant listed above: William Critchlow, who settled in Barbados in 1680; with his wife, two children, and servants; Henry and Thomas Critchley, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1866 and 1875 respectively. In Newfoundland, James Critchley settled in Greenspond in 1841..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Crutchlow (post 1700) | + |
- Ernie Crutchlow (b. 1948), English cyclist at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Cal Crutchlow (b. 1985), British professional motorcycle road racer
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. 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)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
 |
England
Scotland
