Cromarty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Cromarty is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cromarty family lived in Kent, where they were Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court.

Early Origins of the Cromarty family

The surname Cromarty 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 Cromarty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromarty 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 Cromarty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromarty Spelling Variations

Endless 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 Cromer, Crowmer, Croamer, Croemer, Croomer, Cromar, Cromere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromarty 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 Cromarty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromarty 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:

Cromarty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Cromarty, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
Margaret Cromarty, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
Isobella Cromarty, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
D. Cromarty, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
D. Cromarty, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cromarty (post 1700) +

George Cromarty (1941-1992), American folk guitarist and singer, best known as the co-writer, of the song Plastic Jesus
Arthur Martin Cromarty (1919-2014), American jurist from Brooklyn, New York City, Member of the New York Supreme Court (1966-1993)
Magnus Cromarty (1875-1925), Australian politician, Member of Parliament of New South Wales for Newcastle (1922-1925)
Russell Cromarty (b. 1947), former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy (1966-1967)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html