Crispe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Crispe is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The name Crispe came from the Old English given name Crispin, which derives from a Latin nickname which means curly-haired. 1 Much of the popularity of the name in the early Middle Ages is a result of the popularity of St. Crispin, who was martyred at Soissons in 285 AD.

Early Origins of the Crispe family

The surname Crispe was first found in Oxfordshire where they had been granted the lands of Cowley by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The source Old English Bynames lists the name in the Latin form: Benedictus Crispus c.1030 as the first record of the family. Almost two hundred years later, Walter Crips was listed in the source Early London Personal Names as living there c. 1200. 2 Later the family became well established in Norfolk, where they are to this day well known.

In Norfolk, the family goes back at least as far as the 14th century. "In 1388, Richard Crispe was patron of the living of Cockthorp, to which he presented one of the family; another Richard Crispe was buried in Erenze church in 1517." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Robert le Crespe in Oxfordshire; Thomas le Crespe in Somerset; and Gilbert le Crispe in Oxfordshire. 1

Early History of the Crispe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crispe research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1533, 1599, 1600, 1603, 1625, 1628, 1630, 1643, 1666, 1692, 1749 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Crispe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crispe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Crispe are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Crispe include Crisp, Cripps, Crispin, Crispe, Crisppin, Crispp and many more.

Early Notables of the Crispe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Nicholas Crisp (1599?-1666), English Royalist, descended from a family possessing estates in Gloucestershire and engaged in trade in London; Ellis Crisp (died 1625), Sheriff of London; Tobias Cris...

Migration of the Crispe family to Ireland

Some of the Crispe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crispe migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Crispe, or a variant listed above:

Crispe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Crispe, who landed in Virginia in 1621 4
Zacharia Crispe, who landed in Virginia in 1623 4
Benjamin Crispe, who landed in New England in 1636 4
John Crispe, who landed in Virginia in 1639 aboard the ship "Whale" 4
Jon Crispe, who landed in Virginia in 1642 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Crispe migration to Australia +

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

Crispe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Clement Crispe, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 5
Indiana Maxwell Crispe, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 5
Georgina Crispe, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 5
Indiana Crispe, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 5
Thomas Bagnold Crispe, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 5

Crispe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Crispe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Crispe, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Charlotte E. Crispe, aged 21, a cook, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
Margaret Crispe, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN RENWICK 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837JohnRenwick.htm