Crosse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Crosse is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived as dwellers at a cross or crucifix. The surname Crosse originally derived from the Old English word crosse, which means cross. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Crosse family

The surname Crosse was first found in Lincolnshire. The name was first found to be in the southern English counties of Lincolnshire, Buckingham, and Oxfordshire, about the year 1250. By the year 1340 the most important branch of the name had moved northward to Lancashire, and established manors and estates at Crosse Hall, just outside Liverpool. This branch also moved into the Cross of Ledsham to the south in the county of Cheshire.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 included: Johannes del Crosse; Johanna del Crosse; and Andreas de la Croys while the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 still had a few Latin entries for the family: Jordan ad Crucem, Buckinghamshire; Humfrey de Cruce, Oxfordshire; and Conan ad Crucem, Lincolnshire. 3

The name is "rare or absent in the northern counties, and in the south coast counties. Mostly confined to the east centre of England and to the adjacent coast counties between the Wash and the Thames." 4

In Norfolk, Thomas atte-cross, was Rector of Bexwell, Norfolk (no date given) 5

In Lancashire, Richard del Crosse was found there in the Assize Rolls of 1285 and later William atte Cros was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 6

Early History of the Crosse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crosse research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1606, 1609, 1610, 1613, 1616, 1621, 1627, 1630, 1632, 1633, 1641, 1646, 1650, 1655, 1660, 1662, 1664, 1671, 1672, 1674, 1680, 1682, 1683, 1686, 1689, 1691, 1698, 1700, 1718, 1724, 1738, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Crosse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crosse Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Crosse has been spelled many different ways, including Cross, Crosse, Croce, Crosce, Croise, Croice and others.

Early Notables of the Crosse family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Robert Crosse (1606-1683), was an English Puritan, son of William Crosse of Dunster, Somersetshire, entered Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1621, obtained a fellowship in 1627
Sir Thomas Crosse, 1st Baronet (1664-1738), was Member of Parliament for Westminster; and Sir John Crosse, 2nd Baronet (c. 1700-1762) was an English peer

Migration of the Crosse family to Ireland

Some of the Crosse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Crosse migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Crosses to arrive in North America:

Crosse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Crosse, (b. 1598), aged 22 who arrived in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Abigaile" 7
Mrs. Anne Crosse, aged 38, from Suffolk, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Elizabeth", bound for Watertown. 8
John Crosse, aged 50, from Suffolk, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Elizabeth", bound for Watertown. 7
Henry Crosse, aged 20, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Increase" 7
Katherine Crosse, who landed in Virginia in 1642 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Crosse (post 1700) +

Rupert Crosse (1927-1973), American television and film actor, the first African American to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award
Clay Crosse (b. 1967), born Walter Clayton Crossnoe, American Dove award winning Contemporary Christian music artist
Gordon Crosse (1937-2021), English composer from Bury, Lancashire
The Venerable Edmond Francis Crosse (1858-1941), English theologian, the first Archdeacon of Chesterfield
John Green Crosse FRCS, FRS (1790-1850), English surgeon
Gordon Crosse (b. 1937), English composer
Richard Crosse (1742-1810), English painter of portrait miniatures
Andrew Crosse (1784-1855), British amateur scientist, early pioneer and experimenter in the use of electricity
Hercules Crosse Jarvis MLC MLA (1803-1889), English-born Mayor of Cape Town (1848-1860) and merchant of the Cape Colony

The Crosse 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: Cruce dum spero fido
Motto Translation: Whilst I have breath I confide in the cross.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm