Crosly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient roots of the Crosly family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Crosly comes from when the family lived at a region known as the cross or for the dweller at the cross. 1

Early Origins of the Crosly family

The surname Crosly was first found in Lancashire where "the name of an ancient gentle family of Todmorden during the 14th and loth centuries and of Scaitcliffe since the reign of Elizabeth." 2 Another source confirms Scaitcliffe as the point of origin, but adds "anciently Del Croslegh, are of unknown antiquity." 3

We must look to nearby Yorkshire to find the first records of the family though. It is there that the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Crosselay; and Willelmus de Crosselay as holding lands there at that time.

"The same record (p. 189) registers the following inhabitants of Stansfield (Halifax), where the surname is now so strong—Isabella Groslee, Elena Crossle, Thomas Grosseleys, Johannes Grosles. The change of initial from 'C' to 'G' and vice versa is common; compare Crandidge for Grandage, also a Yorkshire instance." 4

Early History of the Crosly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crosly research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1365, 1670 and 1744 are included under the topic Early Crosly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crosly Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Crosly has appeared include Crossley, Crossleigh, Crosslie, Crossly, Croseleigh, Croseley, Crosslay, Crosslow, Crosselie, Crosseley and many more.

Early Notables of the Crosly family

Distinguished members of the family include

David Crosly (1670-1744), English Baptist minister, born in the neighbourhood of Todmorden, Lancashire...

Crosly migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Crosly arrived in North America very early:

Crosly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Crosly, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 5

Crosly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jos Crosly, who landed in Virginia in 1703 5

The Crosly Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Credo et amo
Motto Translation: I believe and love.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)