Courtesy Heather Croston
The Croston Family , Weavers Possibly from Croston, Lancashire to Bandon, Schull, Durrus, West Cork to Canada, Rochester, NewYork, Bradford and Haverhill Massachusetts Related Families Holohan, Mahoney, Wolfe, Lannin, Levis, Skuce, Johnson, Kingston.
Like many West Cork families of Protestant origin the Crostons have Catholic and Protestant branches. The Crostons were weavers and labourers and poor.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14uFPdUUA66a6_cLwgy8MjHWJaDsjGZ50HeIwIbY20pA/edit#gid=0
https://durrushistory.com/2015/11/22/spinning-and-weaving-john-and-isaac-johnson-and-john-croston-weavers-of-old-from-1938-school-folklore-collection-carrigboy-national-school-durrus-west-cork-from-breda-mccarthy-coolcuaghta-2/
https://durrushistory.com/2015/03/29/a-glimpse-of-the-18th-and-early-19th-century-linenflax-industry-in-durrus-and-schull-west-cork-from-the-lost-census-of-1766-1821-1841-1851-with-names-cole-croston-webb-whitley-johnson/
https://durrushistory.com/2012/08/13/selected-deaths-durrus-district-co-cork-1690-1950/
For decades the USA Croston family has been unable to pin point exactly where our ancestor’s John W. Croston, Margaret Attridge and their son Francis Croston lived in Ireland before emigrating to Haverhill, Massachusetts around 1845-54. Francis came first and then in 1854 John and Margaret came over with the rest of the family. We had some indications they were from Skibbereen but no records. We have heard the story- both passed down from our family as well as from other Crostons that we are in touch with in Skibbereen (Currently living there) and in Iowa (from the Bandon, County Cork Croston’s) that the family came to Ireland sometime between 1650 and 1750 from Croston, Lancashire, England. The earliest Croston on record in Ireland is Thomas Croston Esq. living in Sligo (1659 Census).
Several family members have taken a DNA test and that lead to matching with the Croston and Attridge family of Rochester New York. In the East Skull birth records. were found the birth record of 3X great grandfather Francis Croston. The parents names are right as well as the exact birth date. Several of his siblings are also listed in the document and their birth dates match my records. The birth place listed matches John Croston and Thomas Attridge (possibly Margaret’s father or brother) on the Griffith’s Valuation for Scrahanyleary, Schull.
Other search for some of the other surnames in the area to match DNA is in progress matches and so far have found matches with the surnames: Wolfe, Lannin, Levis, Skuce, Kingston and more.
There are several other Croston Families that also went to Haverhill MA. Possibly siblings or cousins to John W.
Some of the other Haverhill Croston’s on there or possibly Margaret Croston who was a DNA match. . She moved to Rochester but I haven’t been able to figure out how she connects with the other Rochester Crostons.
When they came to the US some of the older Crostons farmed and most of the family worked in the many shoe factories.
There is a DNA match with a Daniel Lannin and Ellen Atteridge descendant. They emigrated to Wisconsin.
In the Cole Family history there are references to Crostons, weavers in Brahalish, Durrus from early 19th century census now destroyed.
West Cork History 