Crabtree Family History

Origins 

CRABTREE was first used as a surname in the late 14^th century in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and the man who assumed it was John de Crabtre, a resident of Sowerbyshire.

There are several other early records, one as far back as 1301, of persons in different parts of England who were described as living near a crabapple tree, but there is no evidence that any of these examples developed into a surname. The descriptions took the form of a first name followed by ‘atte’, ‘de’, ‘at’ or ‘of’ Crabtre.

For three hundred years, there were variations in the spelling of the surname – Crabtre, Crabbtree, Crabetre, Crabtrie, Crabtry, Crabtrey, Crabtrye and Krabtree have all been found, the most common being Crabtre – but by the end of the 17^th century the variations had virtually disappeared. It is likely that these different spellings can be attributed to the fact that none of the Crabtrees could then read or write, and interpretation of the spelling was left to the local minister or church clerk.

Distribution

During the 1400s and 1500s, the surname was almost entirely restricted to two small areas of the West Riding, one on the west side in the Halifax and Bradford area, and the other on the east side around Snaith. There was also a toehold gained on the north-eastern side of Lancashire, but dispersion to the rest of the country was minimal.

The 1600s saw considerable increase in the number of Crabtree families, including some distribution of them through the middle part of Yorkshire. The growth in numbers in Lancashire was also strong, still mostly limited to the north-eastern corner of the county. There were several appearances in other parts of the country, including London, but the numbers were limited to a handful of families.

The first Crabtree to emigrate to America was Edward in 1635, but there is no record of his survival. At about the same time, John arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, and with his wife Alice started a family line that is still strong in New England today.

The 1700s brought an even faster growth, still mainly concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. During this century, there were approximately three times as many Crabtree baptisms in Yorkshire as in Lancashire, and three times as many in Lancashire as in the rest of the country combined.

Emigration was sparse in the 1700s. There were a few who sailed to America, the most notable being William and Jane who settled in Maryland about 1705 and gave birth to a family that multiplied and spread to such an extent that many Crabtrees in the United States today can trace their roots to this family. This century saw the arrival of the first Crabtrees in Canada when John and his daughter Sarah settled in Nova Scotia in 1767.

DNA

The Crabtree DNA Project welcomes all participants. I encourage you to join.

Participating is an opportunity to uncover information not provided in the paper records, which will help with our family history research. We shall discover which family trees are related, and gain pointers as to where to focus additional research into documented sources. You can see the progress of the project to date by visiting www.familytreedna.com/public/Crabtree.

The y-DNA test tells you about your direct male line, which would be your father, his father, and so on back in time. You must be male to take this test, and you should have the Crabtree surname. Nonetheless, if you believe there is a Crabtree or variant in your direct male line, although you have a different surname, you are also welcome to participate. If you are female, ask a male in your family tree to participate. I encourage males who order a y-DNA test to order 37 markers, if possible. If you order less markers, you can upgrade later, though this costs a little more.

The mt-DNA test provides information for both males and females interested in learning about their direct female line, which would be their mother, their mother’s mother, and so on back in time. For this purpose, you would order an mt-DNA test. For matches in a genealogical time frame, order the mt-DNA Plus test. Further information may be found at www.FamilyTreeDNA.com, the website of the company hosting this project, or you may contact me at the link provided below.

Book

In 2004, I published a book describing the origins, growth and spread of the CRABTREE surname from 1300 to 1800. Entitled CRABTREE Dweller by the Wild Apple Tree, my book examines many available records to trace the towns and hamlets where the early Crabtrees lived, their trades and occupations, their levels of wealth, and the rate and directions in which they spread. I also surmise their lifestyles based on the social pressures over the 500 year period.

The book contains 350 pages, including eight colour plates. All sources are referenced, and the book is fully indexed. The Foreword has been written by Dr.George Redmonds.

For further details, you can contact me using the e-mail link below.

Link to marriage tables 

Peter Crabtree

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Send me an e-mail message

This page was first published on 18 November 1998, and was last updated on 12 November 2011

Additions since last update: Marriages 1909 & 1910; random partners added.