Crockford

This interesting surname, is of English locational origin from "Crockford Bridge" in the parish of Chertsey, Surrey or "Crockford Water", a stream flowing into Sowley pond, near Lymington in south-west Hampshire. The initial element in both placenames may be the Old English word "croc(ca)", a pot, used to describe a hallow in the ground or of a place where potsherds (fragments of pottery were found), or the Old Norse "Krokr", (Middle English "crok") meaning "bend", or "cruc", the Old British word for hill. The second element is the Old English "ford", a ford. One William de Crockford was recorded in 1332, in the Subsidy Rolls of Surrey. One John Crockford was christened at St. Mary, Guilford, Surrey on December 24th 1550, while Emannel, son of Edward Crockford was christened at Egham in Surrey on January 10th 1580. Elizabeth Crockford married Richard Field at Chertsey, Surrey on December 13th 1664. William Crockeford (1775-1844), originally a fishmonger, set up a famous gambling club "Crockford's Club" in 1827, out of which he amassed 1,200,000 shillings in a few years. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Crocford, which was dated 1214, Pipe Rolls of Surrey, during the reign of King John known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.