Cromar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cromar

What does the name Cromar mean?

The ancestors of the Cromar family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Kent, where they were Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court.

Early Origins of the Cromar family

The surname Cromar was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Tunstall Court. Today, Tunstall is a village in the Borough of Swale in Kent, England.

Looking back at the Domesday Book of 1086, Tunstall was held at the taking of the Domesday Book by Hugh de Port from Bishop Odo of Bayeux as an under tenant. Conjecturally, the surname Cromer is descended from this source. 1

Today Cromer is a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham, E. division of Norfolk. "This place, originally of much greater extent, included the town of Shipden, which, with its church and a considerable number of houses, forming a parish, was destroyed by an inundation of the sea in the reign of Henry IV. The town commands a fine view of Cromer Bay, which, from its dangerous navigation, is by seamen called the 'Devil's Throat.'" 2

Later and further to the north Cromar can be found in "Aberdeenshire. There are still many families of the name living in the district. Thomas Cromar was accused of consulting a sorcerer in 1672. " 3

Early History of the Cromar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cromar research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1471, 1509, 1522, 1532, 1534, 1543, 1603, 1696, 1704 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Cromar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromar Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Cromar were recorded, including Cromer, Crowmer, Croamer, Croemer, Croomer, Cromar, Cromere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cromar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir James Cromer, Gallant Knight; and George Cromer (died 1543), Irish Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in the reign of Henry VIII of England (1532-1534.) He was an Englishman by birth and succeeded Kite at Armagh in 1522. "He was attached to the faction of Gerald, earl of Kildare, through whom he was made lord chancellor of Ireland in 1532, after the removal...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cromar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cromar migration to Canada +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Cromar arrived in North America very early:

Cromar Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richard Cromar, aged 22, Scottish labourer who sailed aboard the ship "SS Prussian"from Scotland arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1881 4

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Retrieved from Canada Government lists, retrieved on 26th July 2023. Retreived from https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/passenger-lists/passenger-lists-1865-1922/Pages/introduction.aspx