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The origins of the Congrave name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived near a lane cut through woods or forest. The name is derived from congreave, a Old English word for such a road.
The surname Congrave was first found in Staffordshire at Congreve, "where the ancestors of this house were seated soon after the Conquest." 1 Congreve is now part of Penkridge, a market town and civil parish as of 1934.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Congrave research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1669, 1670 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Congrave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Congrave were recorded, including Congreve, Congrave and others.
Distinguished members of the family include William Congreve (1670-1729), and English dramatist and poet. He was "born at Bardsey, near Leeds, where he was baptised on 10 Feb. 1669. He was the son Congreve; his mother's maiden name Browning. His grandfather, Richard Congreve, was a cavalier named for the order of...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Congrave Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Congrave family emigrate to North America: