McCrellis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of McCrellis

The ancestors of the name McCrellis date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the McCrellis family lived in Crawley in the counties of Northumberland, Sussex and Bedfordshire. These place names derive from the Old English word "cra-we," meaning "crow," and "le-ah," meaning a " clearing in the woods." 1

We shall attempt to now discuss their significance to the family. The Northumberland township "was anciently called Crawlawe, from Caer-law, a fortified hill. Crawley Tower, a Roman structure, stands on an eminence near an old and strong intrenchment, which is thought to be the Alauna Amnis of Richard of Cirencester, though some place this station at Alnwick, and others at Glanton. " 2

The East Sussex parish so named, is in the union of East Grinstead, hundred of Buttinghill, rape of Lewes. "Crawley is a post-town, consisting of one wide street, in which stands a remarkably fine old elm-tree of immense girth: the houses on the west side of the village are in the parish of Ifield." 2

Early Origins of the McCrellis family

Early History of the McCrellis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCrellis research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1518, 1584, 1588, 1598, 1623, 1626, 1632 and 1649 are included under the topic Early McCrellis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCrellis Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like McCrellis are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name McCrellis include: Crawley, Crawly, Craley, Crally and others.

Early Notables of the McCrellis family

Notables of the family at this time include Robert Crole, Croleus, Crowley (1518?-1588), English author, printer, and divine, born in Gloucestershire. 4Sir Francis Crawley (1584-1649), was an English judge, born at Luton, Bedfordshire, on 6 April 1584. "There is no trace of him at the universities, however. He studied law first at Staple Inn and then at Gray's Inn, to which he was admitted...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCrellis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McCrellis family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name McCrellis or a variant listed above: John Crally, who arrived in Maryland in 1664; Ann Crawley, who came to Pennsylvania in 1682; Charles Crawley, who settled in Virginia in 1700; John Crawley who settled in Maryland in 1729.