| ![Show Contents]() Crequer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of CrequerWhat does the name Crequer mean? The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Crequer family name to the British Isles. They lived in Suffolk. The family was originally from Crevecoeur, Normandy, and it is from this location that the name derives. Early Origins of the Crequer familyThe surname Crequer 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 Crequer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crequer research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1158, 1195, 1200, 1212, 1273 and 1284 are included under the topic Early Crequer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Crequer Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include 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 Crequer familyMore information is included under the topic Early Crequer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Crequer familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Crequer 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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