Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Croston
Variants: Crosston
Category: 2 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way, but currently in some countries only.
Contact: Mrs Victoria Coyle
I became interested in the surname CROSTON through researching my husband's family tree. One of the things that fascinated me was the fact that it was also the name of a village in Lancashire and so I wanted to learn about the possible link.
I have now been researching the surname of Croston for some time and my database of names is growing. If you have a Croston in your family tree, they may appear in my database. I have a growing database of records within other countries too, such as Ireland, Canada and Australia.
I have registered the name CROSSTON as a variant, though there are other variants too such as Chroston and Crostin.
The surname comes from the village of Croston in Lancashire. this originates from the Old Norse 'kross' meaning 'cross' or perhaps the Old English 'Cros' with the stem Old English 'tun' meaning 'farmstead' or 'settlement'.
However, there is also a Cross-stone in Peebleshire.
An American William Croston was listed on the revolutionary pay rolls for late 1775 at Camp Prospect Hill. This was a dairy farm on the outskirts of Boston before the American Revolution made it famous. Also known as the 'Citadel' it was key to the American Revolution frontline.
James Croston of Upton Hall in Cheshire died suddenly on a train travelling from Manchester to Cheshire. He was aged 63 years when he died of a heart attack in 1893. He went to Manchester Grammar School and in later life was a member of the council, a justice of the peace and was well known throughout Northern England.
In 1881 there were 568 Crostons on the UK census, which represented 19 people for every million. Now there are about 1079 Crostons, although this is an increase, they represent 17 people for every million, which means that the name is now less common in the British community.
From the 1881 data, most Crostons were occupied as farmers.
In the 1881 census over 90% of the Crostons lived in Lancashire. The top parish where they lived was Westhoughton (42 individuals), whilst Croston itself only ranked 11th. Aspull, ranking 2nd, and Blackrod, ranking 7th, both share borders with Westhoughton.
Crostons can be found in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland; as well as America and Australia. There are currently about 1766 people with the surname Croston that are resident in America, with a further 1136 in England.