Crisford

Recorded in a range of spellings including Crasford, Craisford, Crisford, Crockford, Crocksford, Craxford and Croxford, this is an English surname. It is clearly locational or perhaps topographical, and the original spelling seems to have been "Crockford" but may well have been Croccere-forda as below, or Crossford or even Cressford, the ford by the cress beds. As to where this place was, we do not know. No such place or anything like the spelling, seems to be recorded in any of the known gazetters of the British Isles. This is not in itself particularly unusual. An estimated three thousand British surnames are believed to originate from now "lost" medieval sites or villages, of which the surviving surnane, often as with this one, in a range of spellings, is the only public reminder of its former existence. The make up of the name might suggest a meaning of the "Potters ford" from the Olde English pre 7th century word "croccere" meaning a potter, and "forda", a shallow river crossing. Early examples of the surname recording and showing its development, are found in the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London. These include: Thomas Craisford, a witness at the church of St Christopher le Stocks, on December 30th 1586, Annis Crockford who married Joseph Spratley at the church of St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, on August 23rd 1601, Richard Croxford, who married Margaret Coomes at St James church, Dukes Place, Westminster, on April 1st 1680, and George Crisford, who married Elizabeth Barnett, at St Pancras Old Church, on July 21st 1828.