Crayshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The present generation of the Crayshaw family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in the village of Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in Lancashire. The name is derived from the Old English "cran(uc)" which means "crane" + "sceaga" which means "grove" or "thicket." ^[1] Another source claims the name literally means "the twisting or winding shaw (wood.)" ^[2]

Early Origins of the Crayshaw family

The surname Crayshaw was first found in Lancashire at Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in the parish of Rochdale or Bury. One of the first records of the name was William de Crounkeshawe who was listed there in 1412. ^[3] Cranshaws Castle or Cranshaws Tower is a 15th-century pele near the village of Cranshaws in Berwickshire, Scotland. The castle is thought to be the inspiration for "Ravenswood Castle", home of Edgar, the hero of Sir Walter Scott's tragedy the Bride of Lammermoor.

Important Dates for the Crayshaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crayshaw research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1610, 1667, 1612 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Crayshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crayshaw Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Crayshaw include Crawshaw, Crawshay, Crawshawe, Cranshaw, Crankshaw and many more.

Early Notables of the Crayshaw family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Crawshaw of Cyfarthfa Castle; Major Joseph Croshaw (1610-1667), son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw, a substantial planter living near Williamsburg in the US Colony and Dominion of Virginia; and Richard Crashaw (1612-1649)...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crayshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crayshaw family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Crayshaw were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Joseph Crawsha who arrived in New York in 1822; James, Titus, and William Crawshaw, settled in Philadelphia in the 1860's; William Crawshaw settled in Virginia in 1624.

Citations

1. ^ Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
2. ^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
3. ^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)