Cromarty Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available: English, Scottish

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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.

Cromarty Early Origins

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The surname Cromarty was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court. 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, indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, 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.

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.

Cromarty Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromarty research. Another 263 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1471, 1509, 1603, 1543, 1532 and 1534 are included under the topic Early Cromarty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromarty Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cromarty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Cromarty Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)

Other References

Holt, J.C. Ed. Domesday Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1987. Print. (ISBN 0-85115-477-8).
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
Leeson, Francis L. Dictionary of British Peerages. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1986. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-1121-5).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
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The Cromarty Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Cromarty Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 23 March 2015 at 09:03.