The
Anglo-Saxon name Cronkshaw comes from the family having resided in the village of
Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in
Lancashire. The name is derived from the Old English "cran(uc)" which means "crane" + "sceaga" which means "grove" or "thicket."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8) Another source claims the name literally means "the twisting or winding shaw (wood.)"
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Early Origins of the Cronkshaw family
The surname Cronkshaw was first found in
Lancashire at Cranshaw (Cronkshaw) in the parish of Rochdale or Bury. One of the first records of the name was William de Crounkeshawe who was listed there in 1412.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) Cranshaws Castle or Cranshaws Tower is a 15th-century pele near the village of Cranshaws in
Berwickshire,
Scotland. The castle is thought to be the inspiration for "Ravenswood Castle", home of Edgar, the hero of Sir Walter Scott's tragedy the Bride of Lammermoor.
Early History of the Cronkshaw family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cronkshaw research.
Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1610, 1667, 1612 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Cronkshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cronkshaw Spelling Variations
Cronkshaw has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few
hundred years,
spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Crawshaw, Crawshay, Crawshawe, Cranshaw, Crankshaw and many more.
Early Notables of the Cronkshaw family (pre 1700)
Distinguished members of the family include Crawshaw of Cyfarthfa Castle; Major Joseph Croshaw (1610-1667), son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw, a substantial
planter living near Williamsburg in the US Colony and Dominion of Virginia; and Richard Crashaw (1612-1649)...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cronkshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cronkshaw family to the New World and Oceana
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in
England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cronkshaws to arrive on North American shores: Joseph Crawsha who arrived in New York in 1822; James, Titus, and William Crawshaw, settled in Philadelphia in the 1860's; William Crawshaw settled in Virginia in 1624.