Crowter History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe founding heritage of the Crowter family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Crowter comes from when one of the family worked as a person who played a crowd, a stringed instrument similar to a fiddle or six-string violin. This instrument was known as a crouth or croude in Old English, and is still known as a crwth in Wales and as a cruit in Ireland. People in the West of England still refer to a fiddle as a crowdy-kit. 1 Professional musicians of this sort made their livings primarily by playing at medieval fairs and wedding feasts. In Scotland "crowdie" means porridge. Early Origins of the Crowter familyThe surname Crowter was first found in Kent where it is generally understood that the first record of the name was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 as Richard le Cruder. 2 3 A few years later, Hugo le Crouder was listed in Leicestershire in 1278 and Kenwrick le Cruther was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1289. 3 In Yorkshire, Adam le Crouther was listed in 1296 and Katerina Crowder and Thomas Crouder were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2 Early History of the Crowter familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Crowter research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1646, 1830 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Crowter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Crowter Spelling VariationsThe 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. Crowter has been spelled many different ways, including Crowder, Crowther, Crouder, Crowdder, Crodare, Crowdair, Crowdere, Crowthers, Crouder, Croader, Croather, Crother, Crawther, Craudder, Crauther, Crauder, Craudair, Crothair, Crowthair, Crowthare, Croder, Crouter, Crowter and many more. Early Notables of the Crowter familyMore information is included under the topic Early Crowter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Crowter family to IrelandSome of the Crowter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Crowter familyThousands 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 Crowters to arrive in North America: John Crowther who settled in New Hampshire in 1631; Elizabeth James and Mary Crowthers settled in Richmond, Virginia in 1820; Thomas Crowder who settled in Barbados in 1634 and later transferred to the mainland.
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