Website created by Stephen Croft (Bsc, PhD)
This website summarises the research I have done into my own family history. The intention is that anyone who has an interest in the history of the Croft family might find this useful. I have deliberately not written this site as an academic paper, with citations and references, but more as a chronology of my own family history and the family I am related to. However, all facts stated on this site have been carefully researched and verified, and I have many documents collected over the years to prove such. Anyone who is conducting their own research along similar lines is welcome to contact me, and I will readily send you copies of any documents I have.
About 30 years ago, I started to enquire from members of my family in Leeds as to where our family came from. I had grown up hearing the occasional story of how some of my ancestors lived in a large Hall near York, and how one of my ancestors was the organist at Westminster Abbey. How much of this was true I had no idea. When I started to look for myself, I had no knowledge beyond my grandparents, who I knew to have been born in Leeds like myself, and to have lived very humble lives. My father had died some years earlier, as had my grandfather, so it was fortunate for me that one of my father's cousins was still around in Leeds, and so I made it my first task to ask him as much about the family as possible. He turned out to be a very useful source of information, and I am grateful to him for the help he gave me in pointing me in the right direction in my investigation. It turned out that not only did he remember my great grandparents, but had been brought up by them for most of his childhood. He was therefore able to tell me facts and stories about this generation that I could have got nowhere else. He was also able to tell me stories which my great grandfather had told him about my great great grandfather, who was born over 170 years ago! If I could pass on any advice to someone who wants to research their family history, it would be to talk to your relatives first! They know things which are not written in any documents.
I quickly discovered through these conversations that I am not from a Leeds family, not even a Yorkshire family, but that in fact the family came originally from Lancashire (a bitter pill for a Yorkshire lad to swallow!). While I, my father and my grandfather were all born in Leeds, Yorkshire, my great grandfather had been born in Burnley, Lancashire. My cousin was also able to tell me about the reasons for my great grandfather leaving Lancashire and coming to Leeds - an interesting story in itself.
30 years later I have traced my family back from Leeds to Lancashire and through 32 generations to their origins in the Norman Conquest of England. I could not have imagined when I started out where the trail would lead me, and I can say at this point that I am certainly proud to be a member of the Croft Family. The main purpose of this chronology therefore is to follow the male Croft line from the very beginning of the family name down to myself. It is, of course, a very personal history, and far from complete; there are many siblings at every generation which I have not followed up, and I intend to continue my research as long as there is more to find.
On this website I have followed my own direct lineage from Dalton, Claughton and Caton in the north of Lancashire, via Whittle-le-Woods (near Leyland), Darwen and Burnley in central Lancashire, to Leeds in West Yorkshire. However, during my research I have collected a great deal of information on other branches of the family within North Lancashire, Westmorland and North Yorkshire. (and I am still finding out more) which I have also included on this website.
About 30 years ago, I started to enquire from members of my family in Leeds as to where our family came from. I had grown up hearing the occasional story of how some of my ancestors lived in a large Hall near York, and how one of my ancestors was the organist at Westminster Abbey. How much of this was true I had no idea. When I started to look for myself, I had no knowledge beyond my grandparents, who I knew to have been born in Leeds like myself, and to have lived very humble lives. My father had died some years earlier, as had my grandfather, so it was fortunate for me that one of my father's cousins was still around in Leeds, and so I made it my first task to ask him as much about the family as possible. He turned out to be a very useful source of information, and I am grateful to him for the help he gave me in pointing me in the right direction in my investigation. It turned out that not only did he remember my great grandparents, but had been brought up by them for most of his childhood. He was therefore able to tell me facts and stories about this generation that I could have got nowhere else. He was also able to tell me stories which my great grandfather had told him about my great great grandfather, who was born over 170 years ago! If I could pass on any advice to someone who wants to research their family history, it would be to talk to your relatives first! They know things which are not written in any documents.
I quickly discovered through these conversations that I am not from a Leeds family, not even a Yorkshire family, but that in fact the family came originally from Lancashire (a bitter pill for a Yorkshire lad to swallow!). While I, my father and my grandfather were all born in Leeds, Yorkshire, my great grandfather had been born in Burnley, Lancashire. My cousin was also able to tell me about the reasons for my great grandfather leaving Lancashire and coming to Leeds - an interesting story in itself.
30 years later I have traced my family back from Leeds to Lancashire and through 32 generations to their origins in the Norman Conquest of England. I could not have imagined when I started out where the trail would lead me, and I can say at this point that I am certainly proud to be a member of the Croft Family. The main purpose of this chronology therefore is to follow the male Croft line from the very beginning of the family name down to myself. It is, of course, a very personal history, and far from complete; there are many siblings at every generation which I have not followed up, and I intend to continue my research as long as there is more to find.
On this website I have followed my own direct lineage from Dalton, Claughton and Caton in the north of Lancashire, via Whittle-le-Woods (near Leyland), Darwen and Burnley in central Lancashire, to Leeds in West Yorkshire. However, during my research I have collected a great deal of information on other branches of the family within North Lancashire, Westmorland and North Yorkshire. (and I am still finding out more) which I have also included on this website.
As a sub-section of this Introduction page, I have included a page on the Croft Family of Herefordshire. This particular branch of the family is perhaps the most notable branch, being seated for hundreds of years at Croft Castle, and featuring throughout history alongside the royal families of the day. While there is no proof that the Croft Family of Lancashire (and Yorkshire) is descended from these Herefordshire Crofts, it seems highly likely, and therefore I have included them here...