Oldcroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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• England

Early Origins of the Oldcroft family

Early History of the Oldcroft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldcroft 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 Oldcroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldcroft 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 Oldcroft 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Oldcroft include: Holcroft, Holcrofte, Howcroft, Hocroft and others.

Early Notables of the Oldcroft family

Notables 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." 5 John 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 Oldcroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oldcroft 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 Oldcroft or a variant listed above: Thomas Hocroft, who sailed to Virginia in 1684; William Holcroft, who settled in Philadelphia in 1828; Thomas Holcroft, who settled in Philadelphia in 1835.