Croxsten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Croxsten family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of the settlements called Croxton in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, or Staffordshire; in Croxton Kerrial or South Croxton in Leicestershire; or in Croxton Green in Cholmondeley, which is in the county of Cheshire. Six of the Croxton villages or parishes are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, and were typically entered as Crochestone. The place name literally means "farmstead in a nook, or of a man called Krokr." 1

Early Origins of the Croxsten family

The surname Croxsten was first found in Cheshire, but there are parishes and hamlets in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire which explain why in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, we find such scattered listings throughout ancient Britain: Elena de Croxstone, Huntingdonshire; Sarra de Croxtone, Cambridgeshire; Abbas de Crokeston, or Croxton, Leicestershire; and Richard de Croxtone, Northumberland. 2

But Cheshire is the ancient homeland of the family as "there are places so called in various counties, but the eminent family of this name spring from the township of Croxton, co. Chester, their [family] seat in very early times." 3

It is generally thought that the family descend from the Lordship of Jocelyn or Godric, a Norman Baron recorded at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086. 4

Early History of the Croxsten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Croxsten research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1650, 1651, 1654, 1659, 1663 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Croxsten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Croxsten Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Croxsten include Croxton, Crockston, Cruxton, Croxon and others.

Early Notables of the Croxsten family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Croxton (1603?-1663?), English parliamentarian, son of George Croxton of Ravenscroft, Northwich hundred, Cheshire. "He was colonel in the parliamentary army in 1650; militia commissioner for Chester the same year; member of a court-martial for trial of certain misdemeanants of quality on 10 Sept. 1651, and was continued in the militia commission in March 1654-5. In 1659 he was in command of Chester Castle when Sir George Booth's rising took place. The rebels entered the town and called upon him to surrender. He is said to have replied ‘that as perfidiousness in him was detestable...
Another 122 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Croxsten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Croxsten family to Ireland

Some of the Croxsten family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Croxsten family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Croxsten or a variant listed above: John Croxton arrived on the Mayflower with his son, John; Randle Croxton settled Pennsylvania in 1682; Thomas and Walter Croxton settled in New Orleans in 1842..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)