Show ContentsCrees History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Crees is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Crees family lived in Northumberland. The family originally lived in Crecy (Cressy), Normandy. The name was "from the Lordship so named, near Dieppe and Rouen. Hugh de Cressy, and Simon, occur in Normandy 1180-1195. Anselm and Gilbert de Cressy c. 1119 held lands from the Earls of Warrenne in England." [1] The same source continues with another possible origin. "Hugh de Cresseio was of Huntingdonshire, 1130. He was son of Guy le Roux, Lord of Creci in La Brie, Senschal of France." [1]

Early Origins of the Crees family

The surname Crees was first found in Norfolk at Beeston Regis, a parish, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham. "Here are some remains, consisting chiefly of the west end of the church, with a small tower, and part of the chapter-house, of a priory of Augustine canons, founded in the reign of John by Lady Isabel de Cressey, and the revenue of which, at the Dissolution, was £50. 6. 4." [2] Hugh de Cressy (died 1189) was an Anglo-Norman administrator and nobleman. Unfortunately little more is known of both people.

The Battle of Crécy (Cressy) was fought on 26 August 1346 near Créy, in northern France. This important English victory over the much larger French army led by Philip VI of France was due to tactical flexibility learned from battles with the Vikings, Muslims and the Scots.

Early History of the Crees family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crees research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1450, 1605, 1646 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Crees History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crees Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Creasey, Cressy, Crecy, Cressi, Crease, Cresey and others.

Early Notables of the Crees family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Hugh Cressy, English politician, Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1390. Robert Cressy (fl. 1450?), was a Carmelite, a student at Oxford, where he distinguished himself as a theologian. Hugh Paulinus Cressy...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crees Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Crees migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Crees or a variant listed above were:

Crees Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Geo W Crees, aged 28, who landed in America from England, in 1893
  • Geo. Crees, aged 18, who immigrated to America, in 1893
  • Jane Crees, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
  • Maud Crees, aged 7, who settled in America, in 1896
Crees Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • W. F. Crees, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States from York, in 1903
  • Lilian Crees, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1906
  • Sarah Ann Crees, aged 43, who settled in America from Handsworth, England, in 1908
  • Annie Crees, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Ferndale, Wales, in 1910
  • Beatrice Maud Crees, aged 16, who settled in America from Birmingham, England, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Crees migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Crees Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Ernest Crees, aged 33, who landed in Verdeen, Canada, in 1921

Australia Crees migration to Australia +

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

Crees Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Frederick Crees, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Crees (post 1700) +

  • Eric Crees (b. 1952), Principal Trombone of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London (2000)


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824


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