Crookson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Crookson is an ancient Viking-Scottish name for a crooked person. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norman word crok which meant "hook" or "something crooked." While this origin can be expected, more accurately, the name was for someone "who came from Crook (hill, or bend of a river), the name of several places in England and Scotland." 1

Early Origins of the Crookson family

The surname Crookson was first found in Westmorland at Crook, a chapelry, in the parish, union, and ward of Kendal 2 of at Crook, a hamlet in the parish of Shevington, Lancashire. We find the earliest record of the family at the latter location. Specifically, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 list William del Crok there at that time. 3

Kirby's Quest lists Kohn de Cruk in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first years of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Crake; Thomas de Crokes; and Johanna de Crekes. 3

Moving further north into Scotland, two of the first entries were Malcolm Crok and Robert Cruk of Fingaldestone, Lanarkshire, who both rendered homage to King Edward I in his conquest of Scotland. A few years later, a benefice was reserved to Adam Croke of the diocese of St. Andrew in 1329 and John Cruke was a tenant in Garvalde under the Douglas in 1376. 5

Early History of the Crookson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crookson research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1562, 1574, 1575, 1576, 1582, 1591, 1617, 1635, 1641, 1649, 1674, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Crookson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crookson Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Crookson include Crook, Crooke, Crooks, Cruik, Cruiks, Crok, Cruke, Crukes, Cruikes and many more.

Early Notables of the Crookson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Andrew Crooke (died 1674) and William Cooke (died 1641) who were London publisher partners who published significant texts of English Renaissance drama, most notably of the plays of James Shirley. Thomas Crooke (fl. 1582), was an English divine, matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in May 1560, where he was elected scholar 1562, and afterwards fellow, proceeded B.A. 1562. 6 Samuel Crooke (1575-1649), was an...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Crookson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crookson family to Ireland

Some of the Crookson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Crookson family

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Crookson or a variant listed above: William Crooke who settled in Virginia in 1635; followed by John in 1660; Anne Crooke settled in Barbados in 1684; John Crook settled in Maryland in 1775.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print