Crooke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

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A Viking family in ancient Scotland was the first to use the name Crooke. It was a name for a crooked person. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norman word crok which meant "hook" or "something crooked." While this origin can be expected, more accurately, the name was for someone "who came from Crook (hill, or bend of a river), the name of several places in England and Scotland." 1

Early Origins of the Crooke family

The surname Crooke was first found in Westmorland at Crook, a chapelry, in the parish, union, and ward of Kendal 2 of at Crook, a hamlet in the parish of Shevington, Lancashire. We find the earliest record of the family at the latter location. Specifically, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 list William del Crok there at that time. 3

Kirby's Quest lists Kohn de Cruk in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first years of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Crake; Thomas de Crokes; and Johanna de Crekes. 3

Moving further north into Scotland, two of the first entries were Malcolm Crok and Robert Cruk of Fingaldestone, Lanarkshire, who both rendered homage to King Edward I in his conquest of Scotland. A few years later, a benefice was reserved to Adam Croke of the diocese of St. Andrew in 1329 and John Cruke was a tenant in Garvalde under the Douglas in 1376. 5

Early History of the Crooke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crooke research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1562, 1574, 1575, 1576, 1582, 1591, 1617, 1635, 1641, 1649, 1674, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Crooke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crooke Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes most often spelled names by the way they sounded. spelling variations, are thus, very common in records dating from that time. Over the years, Crooke has been spelled Crook, Crooke, Crooks, Cruik, Cruiks, Crok, Cruke, Crukes, Cruikes and many more.

Early Notables of the Crooke family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Andrew Crooke (died 1674) and William Cooke (died 1641) who were London publisher partners who published significant texts of English Renaissance drama, most notably of the plays of James Shirley
Thomas Crooke (fl. 1582), was an English divine, matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in May 1560, where he was elected scholar 1562, and afterwards fellow, proceeded B.A. 1562. 6
Samuel Crooke (1575-1649), was an English divine, son of Thomas Crooke, and was born at Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, on 17 Jan. 1574. 6
Dr. Helkiah Crooke (1576-1635), was an English physician, a native of Suffolk, and obtained a scholarship on Sir Henry Billingsley's foundation at St. John's College, Cambridge, 11 Nov. 1591. 6

Migration of the Crooke family to Ireland

Some of the Crooke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crooke migration to the United States +

The Scottish settlers spread out along the fertile land of the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. They and many of their children went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. That heritage has been recovered by many in this century through Clan societies and other Scottish historical organizations. Archival documents indicate that members of the Crooke family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Crooke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Crooke, aged 23, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 7
William Crooke, who landed in Virginia in 1636 7
William Crooke, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 7
Alice Crooke, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 7
Rich Crooke, who landed in Virginia in 1663 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Crooke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Crooke, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 7
Eliza Crooke, who landed in Virginia in 1719 7
Robert Crooke, who arrived in Florida in 1765 7
John Pogson Crooke, who landed in Leeward Islands in 1769 7

Crooke migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Crooke Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Crooke, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 8
Mr. Albert Crooke, (b. 1843), aged 35, Cornish farm labourer travelling aboard the ship "Samuel Plimsoll" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1878 9
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Crooke, (b. 1844), aged 34, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Samuel Plimsoll" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1878 9
Miss Alice Crooke, (b. 1862), aged 16, Cornish domestic servant travelling aboard the ship "Samuel Plimsoll" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1878 9
Mr. Thomas Henry Crooke, (b. 1867), aged 11, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Samuel Plimsoll" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 28th July 1878 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Crooke migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Crooke Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J O Crooke (Cook) landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841

Crooke migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Crooke Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Anne Crooke, who settled in Barbados in 1684

Contemporary Notables of the name Crooke (post 1700) +

Ray Austin Crooke AM (1922-2015), Australian artist who won the Archibald Prize in 1969 for his portrait of George Johnston