Crewes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Crewes comes from when the family resided as dwellers at a cattle-pen or cattle-fold. 1

Early Origins of the Crewes family

The surname Crewes was first found in Cheshire where the "ancestors of Lord Crewe were Lords of Crewe, co. Chester, 13 Edward I." (during the thirteenth year of King Edward I's reign.) 2

Today, Crewe is a township, in the parish of Barthomley, union and hundred of Nantwich in Cheshire. "It has been the inheritance of the Crewe family from a very early period. The Hall, the seat of Lord Crewe, exhibits a good specimen of the more enriched style of architecture which prevailed in the early part of the 17th century: it was begun in 1615, and completed in 1636, and the ceilings and wainscots of many of the rooms, and the principal staircase, retain their original decorations. The gallery, a hundred feet in length, is fitted up as a library, and contains a number of family portraits, and fine pictures: the mansion has also a private chapel, where divine service is performed every Sunday morning, and where is a large painting of the Last Supper, with two beautiful specimens of ancient stained glass. " 3

Looking back further researchers found the name actually dates back to Norman times as "Crewe was in the barony of Malbanc, and was possessed c. 1150 by Henry de Criwa, who attested a charter of Hugh Malbanc. Sire Thomas de Crue was living after 1241. Hence the Lords Crewe of Stene, maternally represented by the Lords Crewe." 4

Early History of the Crewes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crewes research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1565, 1598, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1633, 1634, 1646, 1656, 1671, 1674, 1679, 1697 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Crewes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crewes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Crewes has been recorded under many different variations, including Crewe, Crew, Croux, Crewes, Creuse and others.

Early Notables of the Crewes family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Randulphe or Randolph Crew or Crewe (1558-1646), English judge, second son of John Crew of Nantwich, who is said to have been a tanner; Sir Thomas Crewe (or Crew) (1565-1634), of Stene in Northamptonshire, an English Member of Parliament and lawyer, Speaker of the...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crewes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crewes migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Crewes or a variant listed above:

Crewes Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James Albert Crewes, (b. 1885), aged 19, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 12th December 1904 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 5
Mr. Joseph Crewes, (b. 1885), aged 20, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "Oceanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th October 1905 en route to Morenci, Arizona, USA 5
Miss Ada Crewes, (b. 1882), aged 23, Cornish dressmaker travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 22nd October 1905 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 5

Crewes migration to Australia +

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

Crewes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas R. Crewes, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" 6
Mr. Richard Crewes, (b. 1826), aged 29, Cornish labourer, from Kenwyn, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Rajastan" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th January 1855 7
Mrs. Elizabeth Crewes, (b. 1825), aged 30, Cornish settler, from Kenwyn, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Rajastan" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th January 1855 7
Mr. William Crewes, (b. 1850), aged 5, Cornish settler, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Rajastan" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th January 1855 7
Mr. John Crewes, (b. 1854), aged Infant, Cornish settler, from Kenwyn, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Rajastan" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 11th January 1855 7

The Crewes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sequor nec inferior
Motto Translation: I follow, but am not inferior.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SamuelBoddington.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf