| ![Show Contents]() Cregor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Cregor was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cregor family lived in Suffolk. The family was originally from Crevecoeur, Normandy, and it is from this location that the name derives. Early Origins of the Cregor familyThe surname Cregor was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, Hamon, Sire of Crevecoeur was Duke William's historian. He and his brother were at the Battle of Hastings. William appointed Hamon, Sheriff of Kent. He has two sons, the eldest, Robert FitzHamon became the founder of Tewksbury, and the youngest was Hamon, who was the ancestor of this great baronial family of which we report. One of Hamon's descendents, another Hamon, married Maud d'Avranches, the great Folkstone heiress, in the time of King Richard I of England. For more extensive reading, "The Falaise Roll" by Crispin and Macary, Genealogical Publishing, Baltimore is recommended. Early History of the Cregor familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cregor research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1158, 1195, 1200, 1212, 1273 and 1284 are included under the topic Early Cregor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cregor Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Crawcour, Creuequor, Croueqoer, Creuker, Crewquer, Craker, Crigor, Crevequer, Crevequere, Crevcure, Crevequre, Crevecoeur, Creegor, Cregor, Crewker, Crouequoer, Crevequer, Crequer and many more. Early Notables of the Cregor familyMore information is included under the topic Early Cregor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cregor familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Cregor or a variant listed above: Wm. Craker, who arrived in New York in 1832; William Craker, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1832; Levy Craker, who settled in New York in 1832; Levi Craker, who came to Pennsylvania in 1832.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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