Medcroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Medcroft

The history of the Medcroft family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the estate of Meadowcroft, which was in the parish of Middleton in the county of Lancashire. The surname Medcroft belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Medcroft family

Early History of the Medcroft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Medcroft research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379 and 1581 are included under the topic Early Medcroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Medcroft 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 Medcroft include Meddowcroft, Meaddowcroft, Meducroft, Medowcroft, Meadowcroft, Meadowcraft, Middowcroft, Miducroft, Midowcroft, Midducroft, Medcroft and many more.

Early Notables of the Medcroft family

More information is included under the topic Early Medcroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Medcroft 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 Medcroft or a variant listed above: Mary Meadowcraft who settled in New York State with two children in 1821; Charles Meadowcraft settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1877; Charles, James, John, and Joseph Meadowcroft settled in Philadelphia beween 1850 and 1878.