Crosser

Crosser One-Name Study

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Study details

Study: Crosser **** available for adoption ****

Category: 2 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way, but currently in some countries only.

DNA website: www.familytreedna.com/public/Cossar

Contact: Ann Cossar

About the study

Some time ago I started a one-name study of the COSSAR and CROSSER surname, including COSSER, COSSOR, CROSSAR and CROSSOR. This study is registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies in London England.

I have many Scottish trees in my records and a number of large English bushes.

I am seeking references all around the world, in all time periods and am always interested to hear from people researching these names.

Because there are so many CROSSERs in North Amrica, I am seeking help, or collaboration, or a takeover partner for this study.

Variant names

CROSSAR, CROSSER, CROSSOR

Name origin

The surname seems to have originated in Scotland, although I am exploring the possibility that it was a mishearing of CROSS, CROSSIN, CROSER or CROZER.

Historical occurrences of the name

James CROSSER (c.1845-1915) from family 12 was a Lanarkshire coal miner who managed to train as a medical doctor. His son Robert CROSSER (1874-1957) studied law at Columbia University and served in the US Congress as a Democrat (1913-1954).

In 1959 Drs MUIR and COSSAR discovered that aspirin causes intestinal bleeding (Muir A., Cossar I.A.: Aspirin and gastric haemorrhage. Lancet 1:539-541, 1959 Mar 14). Dr Cossar is a CROSSER also from family 12.

Name frequency

CROSSER as a surname is almost extinct in the British Isles (an estimated 17 living people in England, Wales and the Isle of Man). (Figures are not available for Scotland or other countries, as far as I am aware - although I would love to be proved wrong). In my experience, those commercially-available census indexes with CROSSERs or CROPERs in Wales and the English Midlands are actually mistranscriptions of PROSSER, ROPER or CROKER.

Distribution of the name

In USA, things are very different. CROSSER is a common name especially amongst people whose origins are in Germany and Central Europe.

Many CROSSER descendants are today using the surname COSSAR and are to be found in UK, New Zealand, Australia and North America.

If you are, or know, Robert Hunter Brown from Motherwell, descended from Richard Roberts LIGHTBODY, I have some Crosser news for you. Please kindly get back in touch.

Data

Sources researched include:

GRO S Scottish birth, marriage and death civil registration certificates from 1855
GRO English & Welsh birth, marriage indexes from 1837
Scottish testament calendars and testaments
English & Welsh wills from 1858
1841 British census index and England & Wales images
1851 British census index and images
1861 British census index and images
1871 British census index and images
1881 British census index and images (does not include Ireland)
1891 British census index and images
1901 British census index and images
1911 England & Wales census index and images
Some Australian birth, marriage and death civil registration indexes
Some US birth, marriage and death civil registration indexes
Recent telephone directory entries for the UK, Australia, South Africa and USA

Currently working on:

Scottish census images 1911
19th and 20th century USA censuses
New Zealand birth, marriage and death civil registration indexes
US censuses 1900-1930.

DNA

I have recently started a DNA project here

and would like to hear from anyone interested in participating.

Links

I have data on the surnames SCOULAR, DRAPER, BUTTERY and BAUCHOP in Scotland and, although I am not conducting One-Name Studies on these names, I am interested in sharing information.

Contact Details

Ann Cossar

General Search Results

Occurrences of the surname Crosser in the Guild Indexes

(Click on the number to view the search results in each index. Indexes marked by * are only accessible by logged in Guild members.)

Global Marriages 2

Is your surname here?