On 8th July 1310, at the pleas of the Crown at Dublin, before Justiciar John Wogan, Ralph Mulghan was charged that "together with other malefactors", he came by night to Miriyounge with horses and sacks and there stole goods to the value of 5s. Now Merrion, and inbetweens Merryoung, in Irish is Muirfean (a sea-shore according to Ua Duinnin's Focloir Gaedhilge agus Bearla). Among the jurors who acquitted Mulghan was Alan de Crosse.
This information comes from the Justiciary Rolls of Ireland (1308-1314). Two hearings at Carlow in 1311 also list the same surname. Alexander Crosse was among the jurors who heard of the "seditious slaying" of certain persons described as hibernici. It was pleaded on the accused behalves that the killings were justified as the slain "were Irish who were of the confederation of the Odymsys, notorious felons, so that in slaying them they could not commit felony".
The second case concerned Henry Omolryan, "a common thief, robber and burglar". Clearly a man skilled in the various aspects of his profession. Sentenced to be hanged, he was acquitted as one of the summoned jurors did not turn up. A juror who did turn up was Patrick Crosse.
Sean de Bhulbh in his Sloinnte na hEireann/ Irish Surnames gives Cruis as the Irish for Cross(e), a name which derives from a place, indicating one who lived by a market/roadside cross.
Irish Exchequer Payments 1270-1446 records that in 1302 Roger atte Crosse, master of la Godeyer of Dartmouth, received £13.17s.3d as wages for himself, one constable and 33 sailors. These were payments incurred in the Scottish war. The same source informs that in 1335-6, Thomas de Crosse was one of two barons of the exchequer, also King's clerk of the wages assigned to pay wages to men at arms going to Scotland "to suppress the malice of the Scottish enemies of the king". Furthermore he had the responsibility to buy and purvey victuals etc. for the King's use in Scotland. Archbishop Alen's Register informs that Simon Cros was paying 3s.6d for five acres in "manor de Fynglas" in 1326.
The Fasti of St Patrick's lists the names of the deans, chancellors, treasurers, Archbishops of Dublin, Archdeacons of Glendalough etc., from c. 1180 to 1928. It notes Thomas Crosse or de Cruse was prebendary of "Yagoe or Donaghmore, not in O'Maile" in 1348; Roger Crosse was Archdeacon of Dublin up to 1456; Geoffrey Crosse or Crossey prebendary in 1570; and Isabella Gibbons (afterwards Cross) had been a robe keeper until her dismissal in 1779. It is interesting that in 1567 Geoffrey Crosse was prebendary of a moiety of Donaghmore Amayle (Imaal, Co Wicklow) (The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns). Here also we learn that in 1590 Matthew and Conor Crosse of Adamstown, Co Westmeath, were among a group that were pardoned.
In 1625 Mr Crosse, servant of Sir Thomas Roper, bought 50 tun of salt from a Dutch ship at Kinsale, and in 1632 a Mr Crosse was the Kinsale factor of merchant Richard Richaut. Mr Crosse elsewhere may have been the same, and the same as William Crosse named co-owner of the Anne in 1628 (Calendar of Material relat- ing to Ireland concerning Admiralty Examinations 1536-1641). Census of Ireland c. 1659 gives Silvester Crosse as titulado in Dorres Brack, in the Co Cork barony of Coursies, and Phillip Crosse in Caron, Mattehy, in the Co Cork barony of Muskerry East.
The Irish Statute Staples Book (15961687) shows Epentus Cross, Ringrone, Co Cork, as having debts of £3,000 in 1664, and in 1705 Epentus Cross, "St. Dominic's nigh Cork", made his will. Silvester Cross, Cork, merchant, made his will in 1643, and Philip Hawes Crosse, Cronody, made his in 1734. There was an Epentus Cross in Cronody in 1811. Cornody was a Cross residence prior to 1710, the year that Hawes Cross of Cornody made his will.
Owners of Land of One Acre and Up- wards (1876) shows Cross holdings in Cos Dublin, Cork, Armagh, Monaghan and Tyrone, where there were four small holdings in the Dungannon area. The largest was the 1,090 acres at Dartan, Killylea, Co Armagh, followed by the 582 Co Cork acres at Shandy Hall. The Phone Book of Northern Ireland contains 79 Cross entries, while to the south there are 127 Cross and 56 Crosse entries, most strongly in south Leinster.
Cronody, in the Co Cork parish of Aglish, is, according to Bruno O'Donoghue's Parish Histories and Place Names of west Cork, derived from Corra Noide - Stone enclosure of the church (Noid, a church, Ua Duinnin's Focloir Gaedhilge agus Bearla).