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The ascendancy for William Creighton of Lancaster Penna in the mid 18th century is not known, though he is said to have been born 1710 and apparently of Fermanah, Ulster, Ireland ancestry. As noted above, this does not dismiss a purely Irish or truly Scotch Irish ascendancy, although, having emmigrated from Ulster and found deeply immersed in the Scotch Irish society of Lancaster County, one might reasonably assume he was in fact Scot in ascendancy. See Our Irish Within the Vines.
This page is intended to link to other web sites relevant to Creighton research and its European origins. There is no implied or overt intent to suggest William Creighton's point of emmigration to America, that being unknown. This is merely a review of the information available on the web regarding the historical context of the name, enough to whet the appetite and encourage perusal of the original webpages presenting this information. The reader is encouraged to access them. Much more information is available at the sites from which the following is taken.
Page Contents:
1. Creighton
as Strathclyde Britonnic
2. Creighton
and The Rocky Homeland
3. Creighton
Castle
Creighton
as Strathcylde Britonnic:
́....Researchers have confirmed the first
documented history of this [Creighton] name in lowland Scotland
and northern England, tracing it through many ancient manuscripts, including
private collections of historical and genealogical records, the Inquisitio,
the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, the Ragman Rolls, The Hearth Rolls, the
Domesday Book, parish cartularies. baptismals. and tax rolls. The first
record of the name Creighton was found in Midlothian where they were seated
from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the
arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Different spellings of the name were found
in the archives researched, typically linking each alternate to the root
source of the surname. The surname Creighton, occurred in many references,
from time to time the surname was spelt Crichton, Creighton, Creaton, Craighton,
Cretan, Creeton, Crichten, Crighton, Chieichton, Creichtone, Creychton.
Creychtoun. Creychtoune and these changes in spelling frequently occurred,
even between father and son. Scribes and church officials recorded the
name from its sound.
The family name Creighton is believed
to be descended originally from the Strathclyde Britons. This ancient founding
race of the north were a mixture of Gaelic/Celts whose original territories
ranged from Lancashire in the south, northward to the south hank of the
River Clyde in Scotland.
Tracing its ancient development, the name
Creighton was found in Midlothian where they were recorded as a family
of great antiquity seated in the territories of Kreiton in that shire.
The first on record was Turstan Crectune, who was granted lands by King
David of Scotland in 1128. Alexander and Thomas Creighton both having territories
in Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief
conquest of Scotland. in 1296. The Chief of the Clan Crichton was elected
to the Peerage and became the Earl of Erne and Lord Crichton in addition
to the title of Viscount Frendraught. A junior branch became the Earls
of Dumfries and the Marquises of Bute. They were a distinguished Border
clan and played an important role in the defense of the Scottish border.
Notable amongst the family at this time was Lord Crichton, Viscount Frendraught...."
James Creighton writes: ́The name Creighton is Celtic in origin, whether written as Creighton or Crichton. 'Creig' (Craig) means rock or rocky, where 'Crich' signifies "Boundry."'Ton' is from the old Scots "Toun", meaning Homeland. This is why 'From the rocky homeland' is the closest translation of our family name. The spelling of the name is insignificant at this point, like so many other names from the British Isles, it comes from a point in time that precedes modern language. It has appeared in many forms down through the centuries, I have even seen a reference from a book of family names written in the 1800's which tells of the land acquirisition of a Creighton with a Latinized version of the name from the time of the Roman occupation, with an "ai" at the end. From this same book came a long discussion as to where the 'Rocky Homeland' was originally located. One was Southumbria, a name that denotes a region south of the Umber River in east-central England, around Lincolnshire. The other was Strathclyde, which is the old region of Southwest Scotland, or Galloway. There was a brief monologue in the book about the family being sent north as mercenaries for the Roman army, to help stabilize the area from Pict attacks, and they were given lands there as payment for their services. If this is historically correct, then the family has been in the Borders region since around 400 A.D. All indication found so far is that the Creightons have very old roots in the southwest Scottish region, especially in Dumfriesshire, and Midlothian around Edinburgh. If the family was in fact from ancient Britton-Celt stock, they could have come from any number of tribes from central England north to Strathclyde. These tribes withstood centuries of Danish, Saxon and Anglo-Norman incursions into their homelands well into the 12th century when Henry II sent his Norman troops north to invade Northumbria, Strahclyde and Scotland in 1173-1174.
"It is during the reign of David I of Scotland (1124-1153) that the Creighton name comes alive in written records. First appears mention of land charters for the family "Kreitton", recorded as one of the earliest baronies in Midlothian, around Edinburgh. The Castle Creighton, it's ruins still a focal point 12 miles south of Edinburgh, was probably built sometime during this period in the early 1100's, although just outside the castle walls can be found remnants of a Roman occupation. The Romans first arrived in this area in 80 A.D.
"In 1128 King David began construction
the Abby of Holyrood House. In that year he had many nobles witness the
foundation of Holyrood, and one noble of record was Thurston de Crechtune.
The name appears to be Norman, but it was probably a chosen name change
to keep in better standing with the ever-increasing Norman aristocracy,
which was coming up from the south. His son went back to a simple Crichton
as his surname, but still with the French Prefix "de".....
"[in regards to Ulster in Ireland] The
Creighton name is prominent from the very beginning as one of the original
grantees of land in 1590. They were the land agents working for their Lords
in Scotland to go over, obtain land, and assign tenants from home to occupy
the grants. ...There were enough Creightons in Ulster by 1650 that the
Irish O' Creacha'in, O'Criocha'in, and (O') Crehan name was being anglicized
to Creighton, and they were quite numerous in county Tyron. ..."
Regarding Crichton Castle in Scotland:
"A large and interesting building, Crichton
Castle consists of ruinous ranges of buildings from the 14th to 16th centuries,
enclosing a small courtyard. The castle was a property of the Crichtons,
and probably first built about 1370. Sir William Crichton (Willian
de Kreitton), Chancellor of Scotland, entertained the young Earl of Douglas
and his brother before having them murdered in 1440 at the 'Black Dinner'
in Edinburgh Castle. John Forrester slighted the castle in retaliation.
The Crichtons were forfeited for treason in 1488, and the property later
passed to Patrick Hepburn, Lord Hailes, who was made Earl of Bothwell.
Crichton passed through the hands of many families, was abandoned, and
became a romantic ruin. It was put into the care of the State in 1926.
"