Chrichton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Chrichton is a name whose roots are found in the clans of the Boernician people of ancient Scotland. The Chrichton family lived near a border. This surname came from the Gaelic word crioch and the Old English word tune, which mean border and farm or settlement, respectively. Thus, the surname indicates that the original bearer lived near a border. The name may also have derived from a place name, such as Crichton, near Edinburgh, or the territories of Kreiton in Lothian.

Early Origins of the Chrichton family

The surname Chrichton was first found in Midlothian, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The first on record was Turstan Crectune, who was granted lands by King David of Scotland in 1128. Alexander and Thomas Creighton both having territories in Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland, in 1296. 1

Early History of the Chrichton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chrichton research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1514, 1543, 1560, 1582, 1585, 1593, 1598, 1612, 1613, 1639, 1662, 1670, 1672, 1674, 1691, 1734, 1797, 1890 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Chrichton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chrichton Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages simply spelled according to sound. The result is an enormous number of spelling variations among names that evolved in that era. Chrichton has been spelled Crichton, Creighton, Creaton, Craighton, Creton, Creeton, Crichten, Crighton, Chreichton, Creichtone, Creychton, Creychtoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Chrichton family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Lord Crichton, Viscount Frendraught; William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar (died 1450s) ; Robert Crichton (died 1585), Catholic cleric, nephew of George Crichton, (d. 1543), Bishop of Dunkeld; and Robert Crichton, 6th Lord Sanquhar (died 1612); William Crichton (1598-1691), 2nd Earl of Dumfries; and James Crichton of Clunie (1560-1582), better known as the Admirable...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chrichton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chrichton family to Ireland

Some of the Chrichton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chrichton migration to the United States +

Most of the Boernician-Scottish families who came to North America settled on the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States and Canada. Families who wanted a new order stayed south in the War of Independence, while those who were still loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, the ancestors of these families have gone on to rediscover their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Chrichton or a variant listed above:

Chrichton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Chrichton, who arrived in New York in 1827 2
Thomas Chrichton, who landed in New York in 1827 2

Chrichton migration to Australia +

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

Chrichton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Chrichton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Woodstock" in 1851 3

Chrichton 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:

Chrichton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. David Chrichton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Excelsior" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th March 1859 4
Mr. R. Chrichton, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 4
Mr. William Chrichton, Scottish shepherd from Scotland travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 5

Citations +

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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WOODSTOCK 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Woodstock.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html