| ![Show Contents]() Hocroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Hocroft is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in the area of Holcroft in Lancashire. 1 2 Early Origins of the Hocroft familyThe surname Hocroft was first found in Lancashire where one of the first record of the name was Robert de Holecroft, who was listed in the Assize Rolls in 1246. A few years later, John Holecroft was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 3 "Lytham [a parish in Lancashire] is mentioned in the Domesday Survey from 1086 under the name of Lidun. It early belonged, by gift of Richard Fitz-Roger, to the monks of Durham, and after the Reformation was granted to Sir Thomas Holcroft, whose descendant, Sir John, is said to have sold the property in 1606 to Sir Cuthbert Clifton, ancestor of the present lord of the manor." 4 Early History of the Hocroft familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hocroft research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1425, 1629, 1640, 1644, 1648, 1650, 1656, 1662, 1692, 1693, 1745 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Hocroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hocroft Spelling VariationsBefore the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Hocroft were recorded, including Holcroft, Holcrofte, Howcroft, Hocroft and others. Early Notables of the Hocroft familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Sir Henry Holcroft, from West Ham in Essex and his son, Francis Holcroft (c.1629-1693), an English Puritan divine. "He is said to have been born at West Ham in Essex. Tillotson, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, was his 'chamber-fellow' at Clare Hall, Cambridge, about 1650. Holcroft eventually formed a church on congregational principles, and, after being ejected in 1662 from Bassingbourne, became a bitter opponent of Episcopalianism." 5John Holcroft (died 1656), was an English politician, sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1648, fought in the Parliamentary army in...
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hocroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Hocroft migration to the United States | + |
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Hocroft family emigrate to North America:
Hocroft Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Thomas Hocroft, who sailed to Virginia in 1684
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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Hocroft migration to the United States 
