The ancestry of the name Ashecroft dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Norfolk. Ashcroft means the dweller in the croft where the ash trees grow. [1]
The surname Ashecroft was first found in Norfolk where one of the first records of the name was Margaret de Asecroft who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 in this county. [1] Richard Ashcroft was also listed in Norfolk in the Feet of Fines. [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ashecroft research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1592 and 1602 are included under the topic Early Ashecroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ashecroft have been found, including Ashecroft, Ashecroft, Ashcroft, Ashcrofte, Ascroft, Ascrofte, Ashcraft and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Ashecroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Ashecroft, or a variant listed above: Jo Ascrofte who settled in Virginia in 1635; Hugh Ashcroft landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832; Henry Ascroft settled in Virginia in 1699.