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Show ContentsCromartay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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Cromartay is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cromartay family lived in Kent, where they were Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court.

Early Origins of the Cromartay family

The surname Cromartay was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court. Today, Tunstall is a village in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.

Looking back at the Domesday Book of 1086, Tunstall was held at the taking of the Domesday Book by Hugh de Port from Bishop Odo of Bayeux as an under tenant. Conjecturally, the surname Cromer is descended from this source. 1

Today Cromer is a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk. "This place, originally of much greater extent, included the town of Shipden, which, with its church and a considerable number of houses, forming a parish, was destroyed by an inundation of the sea in the reign of Henry IV. The town commands a fine view of Cromer Bay, which, from its dangerous navigation, is by seamen called the 'Devil's Throat.'" 2

Later and further to the north Cromar can be found in "Aberdeenshire. There are still many families of the name living in the district. Thomas Cromar was accused of consulting a sorcerer in 1672. " 3

Early History of the Cromartay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromartay research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1471, 1509, 1522, 1532, 1534, 1543, 1603, 1696, 1704 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Cromartay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromartay Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Cromer, Crowmer, Croamer, Croemer, Croomer, Cromar, Cromere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromartay family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir James Cromer, Gallant Knight; and George Cromer (died 1543), Irish Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in the reign of Henry VIII of England (1532-1534.) He was an Englishman by birth and succeeded Kite at Armagh in 1522. "He was attached to the faction of Gerald, earl of Kildare, through whom he was made lord chancellor of Ireland in 1532, after the removal...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cromartay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cromartay family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Cromartay or a variant listed above: Dennise Cromer settled in Virginia in 1705.
  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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