The Irish Civil Registration Indexes for have now gone online on the Family Search pilot site. [The Irish BMDs are now available on the main Family Search website and can be searched here.] The indexes include births from 1864 to 1958, marriages from 1845 to 1958 and deaths from 1864 to 1958. I've done a quick search to establish the distribution of the variant spellings in the Irish records. The total number of birth, marriage and death events for each spelling are as follows:
Cruise 2982
Cruse 107
Crews 12
Cruce 14
Cruwys 4
Crewes 1
It does not seem to be possible at present to search separately for births, marriages and deaths. The four Cruwyses in the Irish indexes are all in my own family tree. I have not yet had the chance to explore any of the other Irish lines.
The surname in Ireland, as in England, has a very long history. It seems likely that the name arrived in Ireland following the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169. The earliest reference to the surname I have found in the Irish records relates to a Philippum de Cruce of Dublin who is mentioned in the Patent Rolls in 1229. A Miles de Cruys is noted as holding lands in the manor of Balimaglassan in County Meath in the Patent Rolls in 1277 and 1279. Cruys seems to have been the predominant spelling in the medieval period, whereas today the Cruise spelling is the one most commonly found in Ireland. The family has given its name to a small parish in County Meath which is known as Cruisetown. Another branch seems to have settled in Dublin. The chief seat of the family was at Naul, and the ruins of their castle can apparently still be seen today.
In order to keep the one-name study to a manageable size I have deliberately excluded the variant spelling Cruise because of the numbers involved both in Ireland and America. I do however have some Cruises in the DNA project, and I have acquired a few Irish records in the last few years so I am always pleased to hear from anyone researching the surname Cruise. My hope is that one day someone might be interested in taking on Cruise as a separate one-name study!
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Latest Guild marriage challenges
I've received a bumper crop of marriage details from the latest Guild marriage challenges in recent weeks. I have put outline details of the various marriages below, together with the name of the tree, where known, in brackets. I have sent copies to researchers of the relevant trees. If anyone else is interested in any of these marriages do get in touch. I'd like to thank Colin Ulph for finding the Brighton marriages, Ian Preece for the Pershore marriage, and Sian Plant and Mary Ghrist for the Marylebone marriages.
Brighton Registration District
- 1840 St Nicholas, Brighton: Edmund Cruse, labourer, son of Samuel Cruse, grocer, and Ellen Lock, daughter of Luke Lock, hairdresser (I have established from the censuses that Edmund was born c. 1819 in Brighton but I cannot yet link him into any of the existing Cruse trees.)
- 1849 St Nicholas, Brighton: Jane Cruse, daughter of Samuel Cruse, grocer, and Charles William Galliers, tailor, son of John Galliers, servant
- 1855 St Nicholas, Brighton: Mary Cruyes, daughter of Joseph Cruyes, shoemaker, and Richard Hallett, carpenter, son of Richard Hallett, carpenter
- 1859: St Nicholas, Brighton: Elizabeth Cruse, daughter of Richard Cruse, labourer, and James Weller, labourer, son of Thomas Weller, labourer (Elizabeth is the daughter of Richard Cruse and Mary Mitchell from the Chailey, Sussex, tree)
- 1863 St Nicholas, Brighton: Ann Cruse, daughter of Thomas Cruse, organist, and George Michael Baldwin, fisherman, son of Michael Baldwin, tinman. (Rode, Somerset, tree)
- 1873 St Nicholas, Brighton: Emma Nowell Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, organist and Henry Husband, officer in the Royal Mail service, son of William Della Husband, surgeon (Rode, Somerset, tree)
Marylebone Registration District
- 1850 Holy Trinity, Marylebone: John Cruse, smith, son of Richard Cruse, smith, and Jane Rees, daughter of Benjamin Rees, baker
- 1855 St Marylebone Church, London: Emma Cruze, widow, daughter of John Bedford, baker, and William Dowsett, groom, son of Edward Dowsett, labourer
- 1856 St Marylebone Church, London: Richard Cruse, draper, son of Harry Cruse, solicitor, and Henrietta Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, accountant (Richard and Henrietta are first cousins. They are from the Rode, Somerset, tree.)
- 1857 St Marylebone Church, London: Elizabeth Cruwys, daughter of Thomas Cruwys, tailor, and William Wotley Baker, omnibus conductor, son of Richard Baker, cab driver (I think this is Elizabeth Cruwys, born c. 1815 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Cruwys. I can however find no suitable matches in the censuses. In 1851 Elizabeth, 36, was working as a barmaid at the Bell Inn, Kilburn, and living with her brother John who was the landlord)
- 1871 St Marylebone Church, London: Edward John Cruse, valet, son of George Cruse, butler, and Louisa Beardmore, daughter of William Henry Beardmore, grainer (Edward's parents are George Cruse and Sarah Wedlake. George is one of the Berkshire Cruses.)
- 1872 St Matthew, Marylebone: Margaret Cruse, daughter of Thomas Cruse, labourer, and Frederick George Bryant, hairdresser, son of George Bryant, hairdresser
- 1873 St Marylebone, London: Elizabeth Louisa Cruwys, daughter of Robert Cruwys, tailor, and Joseph Wright Dungate, french polisher, son of Joseph Wright Dungate, french polisher (This certificate relates to the Cruwys line originating in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.)
- 1888 St Marylebone Church, London: Francis Edward Cruse, widower and builder (from Kintbury, Berkshire), son of Daniel Cruse, a builder, and Alice Giles, daughter of Charles Giles, baker (Berkshire Cruses)
Pershore Registration District
- 1844 Parish Church, Pershore St Andrew: Mary Ann Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, proctor, and Henry Stroud, Captain in the Royal Navy, son of John Stroud, banker
Brighton Registration District
- 1840 St Nicholas, Brighton: Edmund Cruse, labourer, son of Samuel Cruse, grocer, and Ellen Lock, daughter of Luke Lock, hairdresser (I have established from the censuses that Edmund was born c. 1819 in Brighton but I cannot yet link him into any of the existing Cruse trees.)
- 1849 St Nicholas, Brighton: Jane Cruse, daughter of Samuel Cruse, grocer, and Charles William Galliers, tailor, son of John Galliers, servant
- 1855 St Nicholas, Brighton: Mary Cruyes, daughter of Joseph Cruyes, shoemaker, and Richard Hallett, carpenter, son of Richard Hallett, carpenter
- 1859: St Nicholas, Brighton: Elizabeth Cruse, daughter of Richard Cruse, labourer, and James Weller, labourer, son of Thomas Weller, labourer (Elizabeth is the daughter of Richard Cruse and Mary Mitchell from the Chailey, Sussex, tree)
- 1863 St Nicholas, Brighton: Ann Cruse, daughter of Thomas Cruse, organist, and George Michael Baldwin, fisherman, son of Michael Baldwin, tinman. (Rode, Somerset, tree)
- 1873 St Nicholas, Brighton: Emma Nowell Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, organist and Henry Husband, officer in the Royal Mail service, son of William Della Husband, surgeon (Rode, Somerset, tree)
Marylebone Registration District
- 1850 Holy Trinity, Marylebone: John Cruse, smith, son of Richard Cruse, smith, and Jane Rees, daughter of Benjamin Rees, baker
- 1855 St Marylebone Church, London: Emma Cruze, widow, daughter of John Bedford, baker, and William Dowsett, groom, son of Edward Dowsett, labourer
- 1856 St Marylebone Church, London: Richard Cruse, draper, son of Harry Cruse, solicitor, and Henrietta Cruse, daughter of John Cruse, accountant (Richard and Henrietta are first cousins. They are from the Rode, Somerset, tree.)
- 1857 St Marylebone Church, London: Elizabeth Cruwys, daughter of Thomas Cruwys, tailor, and William Wotley Baker, omnibus conductor, son of Richard Baker, cab driver (I think this is Elizabeth Cruwys, born c. 1815 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Cruwys. I can however find no suitable matches in the censuses. In 1851 Elizabeth, 36, was working as a barmaid at the Bell Inn, Kilburn, and living with her brother John who was the landlord)
- 1871 St Marylebone Church, London: Edward John Cruse, valet, son of George Cruse, butler, and Louisa Beardmore, daughter of William Henry Beardmore, grainer (Edward's parents are George Cruse and Sarah Wedlake. George is one of the Berkshire Cruses.)
- 1872 St Matthew, Marylebone: Margaret Cruse, daughter of Thomas Cruse, labourer, and Frederick George Bryant, hairdresser, son of George Bryant, hairdresser
- 1873 St Marylebone, London: Elizabeth Louisa Cruwys, daughter of Robert Cruwys, tailor, and Joseph Wright Dungate, french polisher, son of Joseph Wright Dungate, french polisher (This certificate relates to the Cruwys line originating in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.)
- 1888 St Marylebone Church, London: Francis Edward Cruse, widower and builder (from Kintbury, Berkshire), son of Daniel Cruse, a builder, and Alice Giles, daughter of Charles Giles, baker (Berkshire Cruses)
Pershore Registration District
- 1844 Parish Church, Pershore St Andrew: Mary Ann Cruse, daughter of Edward Cruse, proctor, and Henry Stroud, Captain in the Royal Navy, son of John Stroud, banker
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Tom Rutherford Cruwys
John Reis has also sent me some lovely photographs of Tom Rutherford Cruwys, the second son of Tom Cruwys (1853-1896) and Ruth Pearce (c. 1862-1901).
Tom was born on 16 December 1888 at 14 Maygrove Road, Kilburn, London. He last appears in the English records in the 1891 census as a two-year-old boy. I've not been able to find him in the 1901 census, and had always wondered what became of him as there is no record of his death in the General Register Office indexes. John has now solved the mystery. He tells me:
See also the posting on the WW1 letters of Tom Rutherford Cruwys
Tom was born on 16 December 1888 at 14 Maygrove Road, Kilburn, London. He last appears in the English records in the 1891 census as a two-year-old boy. I've not been able to find him in the 1901 census, and had always wondered what became of him as there is no record of his death in the General Register Office indexes. John has now solved the mystery. He tells me:Tom went out to Russia to work for the Anglo Maikop Corporation developing oilfields at Apsheronskaya as a 'petroleum mining engineer'. During the First World War he joined 'the British Military Forces in Mesopotamia' attached to Colonel Baltine's Military Mission at Krasnovodsk as an interpreter with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He died from malaria at Krasnovodsk on 28 September 1918. His younger sister, Dorothy Rutherford Cruwys, used to tell me when I was a child how her brother Tom had risen from his sick bed and ridden off to carry some desperate warning to a town and that he got through in time but died soon afterwards and became quite a hero. There was even a very grainy photo of a memorial which had been raised to him. We have had no luck in finding any more details of this story but there might be something out there.In 1918 Krasnovodsk was in Russia. Today it is known as Türkmenbasy and is in Turkmenistan. The photograph below of Tom on horseback was probably taken in Russia. John still has some of the letters which Tom sent home to his family, including the last letter he ever wrote which is "complete with a perfect impression in lipstick where it was kissed by his mother". Rather oddly Tom is not listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, and there is no record of him in the WWI Army Deaths. Can anyone tell us more about Tom's heroic deeds? Where is his memorial?
See also the posting on the WW1 letters of Tom Rutherford Cruwys
Tom Cruwys and Ruth Pearce
John Reis has sent me some lovely photographs of his family. John is the grandson of Fannie Ruth Cruwys (1882-1943) and Arthur Montagu Reis (1857-1941). Fannie was the daughter of Tom Cruwys (1853-1896), a school furniture manufacturer, and Ruth Pearce. Tom was born in Newport, Monmouthshire. His line goes back via Wiveliscombe in Somerset to Oakford in Devon. The first photograph shows Ruth Cruwys née Pearce with her four children Fanny (b. 1882), James (b. 1885), Tom (b. 1888) and Dorothy (b. 1890).
The second photograph, below, is of Fannie Reis née Cruwys, the eldest daughter of Tom Cruwys and Fannie Pearce. Fannie was born on 18th February 1882 at Whyteleaf in Warlingham, Surrey. The photograph bears a stamp from Beirut in the Lebanon, though we don't know why or when she visited the country.
Fannie went out to Alexandria in Egypt in about 1905 to join her partner Arthur Montagu Reis. Arthur had previously married his cousin Lilian Samuel in 1879 in Liverpool. Lilian did not die until 1955, and they do not appear to have divorced. We have not been able to find any record of a marriage between Fannie and Arthur. Arthur was a stock and share broker, banker and fancy goods dealer. After running into financial difficulties he was declared bankrupt, and went out to Egypt in around 1905 where it is understood he set up in business as a cotton dealer. It is said that Arthur "made and lost a million". Arthur and Fannie's eldest son, Spencer, was born in England, but their three other children, Dennis, Enid and Brenda, were all born in Alexandria. Further information on the Reis and Samuel families, including numerous transcriptions of articles from The Times concerning Arthur's tangled financial affairs, can be found here.
The second photograph, below, is of Fannie Reis née Cruwys, the eldest daughter of Tom Cruwys and Fannie Pearce. Fannie was born on 18th February 1882 at Whyteleaf in Warlingham, Surrey. The photograph bears a stamp from Beirut in the Lebanon, though we don't know why or when she visited the country.
Fannie went out to Alexandria in Egypt in about 1905 to join her partner Arthur Montagu Reis. Arthur had previously married his cousin Lilian Samuel in 1879 in Liverpool. Lilian did not die until 1955, and they do not appear to have divorced. We have not been able to find any record of a marriage between Fannie and Arthur. Arthur was a stock and share broker, banker and fancy goods dealer. After running into financial difficulties he was declared bankrupt, and went out to Egypt in around 1905 where it is understood he set up in business as a cotton dealer. It is said that Arthur "made and lost a million". Arthur and Fannie's eldest son, Spencer, was born in England, but their three other children, Dennis, Enid and Brenda, were all born in Alexandria. Further information on the Reis and Samuel families, including numerous transcriptions of articles from The Times concerning Arthur's tangled financial affairs, can be found here.
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