Cockraft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Cockraft name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Carcroft, a hamlet in the parish of Owston in Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Cockraft family

The surname Cockraft was first found in South Yorkshire, at Carcroft, a rural village part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The earliest record of the village was in the 12th century when it was listed as Kercroft and literally meant "enclosure near the marsh" having derived from the Old Scandinavian word "kjarr" + and the Old English word "croft." 1

Early History of the Cockraft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockraft research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1296, 1379 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Cockraft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockraft Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Cockraft has undergone many spelling variations, including Cockcroft, Cocckecroft, Carrecroft, Calcraft, Chalcraft, Choldcorft, Cracroft, Chalcroft and many more.

Early Notables of the Cockraft family

More information is included under the topic Early Cockraft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockraft 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:

Cockraft Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. J. Cockraft, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 10th June 1853 2

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html