This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Robyn_Kendall Surnames: Cronk Anguish Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cronk/523.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi Debbie: Yes, it was a very interesting find. I am also a Cronk from my mother (she was a Cronk born in Ontario), and I have now traced her Cronk line back to Tunis Cronk, who was born about 1757 in New York and died in 1794 in Ontario (then Upper Canada). My mother had no indication from her father is to his nationality. There is a mention of German in the 1901 Census, but I tend to discount relying on that as "fact" because there are so many other errors in that particular Census for our family (I won't go into detail). This could have just been another mistake as the family listed above the Cronks on that Census were German, and the Census taker may have been "on a roll". He appears to have rushed through all the other little details! I could go with the Dutch theory, and there is indication that Tunis (or Teunis) was from a Dutch family that emigrated in the mid 1600s. This information can be found all over the Internet. But after seeing the book in England and the part that says "the leading genealogical society of Holland reports that the name Cronk (however spelt) does not appear anywhere in their very comprehensive records", it put that in question. Of course there is every possibility that the name changed on landing in North America. (For instance, did the author check for other forms of Cronk like Cronkhite or Crankheyt? I don't know. And was there enough research done by him in 1953 to make this conclusion? Who knows!) By the way, Teunis is a Dutch form of Anthony. I also know that the Cronks were very devout Baptists and Methodists, both religions having started in England. The first mention that I have of Baptist being their faith is the son of Tunis in the 1851 Census. A long way of saying that I guess my lead theory is still that they are of Dutch heritage. However, while I used to think that was the ONLY theory, I am now finding bits and pieces that open other doors. I think that all of this is fascinating, and hope that by putting out the seeds, someday (hopefully in MY lifetime), I will find the "missing link" that will confirm or deny. I am sort of at the same point with my mother's maternal side, which is Anguish. There is indication that that name is German (and may have been Engrish or Enguish). Do I take that as another "point" for the German theory? Then again, I found a large group of Anguishes from Norfolk, England (but no connection to mine). It's all so confusing! Having just returned from England and finding my paternal line back to the beginning of the parish records (mid 1500s), I sure wish that all of my lines were in England. Their records are so complete and detailed! So the long and short of it is, I don't have anything more at this point. But hopefully someone else will be able to add to this saga. Regards, Robyn. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.