Creswick Hamlet

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Creswick Hamlet

The origin of the name is not in doubt. It comes from cress (the vegetable) and wyck (meaning farm): both in various spellings. As late as 1861, there was a small hamlet in Ecclesfield parish known as Creswick Greave (thicket). Also, in the 1780s there was an enclosed field known as Creswick Shutt. They are shown on the map below

The site of the Creswick hamlet cannot be fixed with complete accuracy, but there is good evidence of it. This map shows, in green, the site of Creswick Shutt when the Enclosures Award was made in 1862 - as it had been for over 200 years. It was enclosed and separate from surrounding fields, a block of six strips totalling about half and acre. This last information is taken from "The village of Ecclesfield" by Prof David Hey

The map also shows where modern streets names Creswick can still be found, less than half a mile from the Shutt. It is probable that the hamlet was in this area.

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The hamlet no doubt housed several families, perhaps interrelated, perhaps not, so we cannot be sure that people known as “de Creswick” were all closely related. Even so, there is a good chance that there were only one or two blood lines. What is certain is that almost all the CRESWICKS had left Ecclesfield Parish before the 17th century. There were still many living in villages to the south and west, on the way to Sheffield, which was then only a small town, and many Creswicks lived there, working, mainly as farmers, and or cutlers

This extract is from Eastwood's book "The History of Ecclesfield" It confirms that, though the name of the Creswicks came from the hamlet in Ecclesfield parish, the family stayed in the parish for less than about 200 years after the earliest records about them which we have found. There were other families who used other family names, but were also described as being 'of Creswick' because they held land in Creswick.

The Adam to whom the Abbey of St Wandrille leased lands in Onesacre in Bradfield parish is the man whose name appears at the head of the oldest family tree found in many old sources.

"Between Doe Royd and Ecclesfield is the now small village or hamlet from which doubtless the very numerous Family of Creswicks of Hallamshire derive their surname, and at which they originally resided. The name admits of easy derivation from A.S. cerse. crese, or crefs. a plant with which the locality may have at one time abounded.

Among the charters preserved by Mr. Wilson was one of the reign of Edw. 1 (1272 - 1307) by which the Abbot and Convent of S. Wandrille granted certain lands in Onesacre to Adam de Creswicke, (Deanery of Doncaster. II 193) the same, it is presumed, whose name occurs frequently in that and the succeeding reign. as witness to deeds made at Attercliffe, Darnall, and Brikesherth (now Brightside) In a list of Jurors in 1337 occurs the name of Robtus de Cresvic, or (as it is in a corresponding list of the same date), Johes do Cresvic. The printed copy of the Inguisito Nonarum gives Henry de Cresvick as one of the principal Inhabitants of the parish in 1340-2; and in 1344 Hewe de Kreswik, by a deed dated at Bradfield quit claimed to Thomas son of Thomas of Ughil wood all right to etc. in Raventworth In Ughil; Witness John del imoreivood and others (Charter among the ',,Wilson MSS quoted In Morewoodivir. Hunter's letter to Mr. (blank)

But beyond the name there is no known record of the connection of the family with the hamlet, before the end of the 15th century had passed Into other hands, for among the Dodsworth MSS is a copy of Court Roll, dated 1498@ by which Robert Mounteney, son of Sir John Mounteney deceased was admitted to lands in Creswike, and in the pedigree of the family of Mounteney supplied to Dodsivorth by Thomas Mounteney of Wheatley. John Mounteney, father of the said Thomas, is described as 'of Creswick'. His widow was married in 1578 to Ralph Croste, and died in March 1599, when her burial is registered as that of " Maude Crofte alias Mounteneye, de Creswicke, senex. Gen’osa, sep xxxj 0 die. " The Moimteneyes however were not the only residents at Creswick. for in the Church Accounts two persons of the name of 'Willian Brown, the elder, and the younger, occur frequently between 1524 and 1,584.

In 1559 there was payd to the potter of Creswicke for sawtheringe the bell xijd.In 1619 Robert Shirtclif is described as of Creswick. The estate which the Mounteneyes had, passed lnto the hands of the Earls of Shrewsbury, and in the Rental of the Sheffield Estate for 1672 is an entry of £9 paid by John Birkes for Creswick Greave. There must have been more than one holding here for In 1740 John Hatfield. of Hatfield, gent. and Susanna his wife leased a copyhold farm at Creswick Greave to 'widow Lister, whilst in 1752 Watts Horton Esq. and Susanna his wife, niece and exectrix of John Watts Esq. late of Barnes Hall, surrendered Creswick Greave to Thoms Rawson of 'Wardsend,. tanner, whose second son John Rawson, apothecary succeeded to it by his father's will. but died without Issue, when it reverted to his elder brother Thomas Rawson, and in…..(the rest is not recorded) "