Craucester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Craucester surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the village of Craster, a fishing village located on the coast of the North Sea, northeast of Alnwick.

Early Origins of the Craucester family

The surname Craucester was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor at ancient Craucestre a barony outside Alnwick in that shire. The Domesday Book did not include the county of Northumberland. King William the Conqueror believed he had laid Northumberland waste in 1069. We are therefore unable to distinguish the Norman Baron who held Craucestre, with certainty but we do know that Alnwick was held by Baron John of Alnwick and may be the ancestor of the Craster surname. John had married Beatrice, daughter of Ivo de Visci and acquired Alnwick. "The manor of Craster, olim Crawcestre, near Alnwick, was held by the family temp. Henry I., and still belongs to Craster of Craster Tower." 1 The family have held the tower since 1278, but over the years many changes have taken place. Today, it is regarded as a 18th-century Georgian mansion incorporating a 14th-century pele tower.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Albert de Craucestre and Ivo de Crawecestre were both recorded here in the 1200's. 2

Early History of the Craucester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Craucester research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1242, 1299, 1681, 1682, 1779, 1803, 1879 and 1944 are included under the topic Early Craucester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Craucester Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Craucester include Craster, Crawcester, Craucestre, Craucester, Crawster and many more.

Early Notables of the Craucester family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Craucester Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Craucester family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: William Craster settled in Virginia in 1716.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)