Message to Ian Killip -

You asked if anyone else had any information to add and having read all the messages in this thread can I just say how interesting its been to read all your research, thanks for sharing it.

I am a relative of the Cretney family and researching the same. In the Manorial Roll 1511/1515 (via Manx Notebook) there are entries relating to 'Patric McBretny' (Saurebrek) and 'wife of Richard McBretny' (Smeall Beg) and I wonder if our family name comes from this.

At www.cretney.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk it states:-

'Cretney is descended from MacBratney, or MacBreatnaich in Gaelic, meaning a son of the Strathclyde Briton, or children of the Britons, who settled amongst the Gaels. Spelling variations include:- MacBretney,MacBratney, Cretny, MacBraten, Bretny, Vretny,McBretnach, MacBretnie, Bretney, Cretnie, McBratny and McVretney. The Cretney family can trace their ancestors back to the ancient territories of the Scottish English Border Ridings between the 11th and 12th centuries. The family can trace its ancestral roots back to Strathclyde Briton origin, and first appeared in ancient medieval records in Galloway. The Cretney family not only held lands and estates in the Scottish English Border Ridings but were actively allied with other influential families. The earliest record of the original name is in Gallway, South-West Scotland, where the family was anciently seated.'

Could this be evidence of the theory that the prefixes were no longer used in the mid 1550's as suggested in your previous discussions?

Also via the Manorial Roll information (Appendix H) is a William Cretney 1580 (Cooilingel, Marown) - could this indicate he is related to the above, and that the Mac/Mc prefix had then been dropped?

I notice that reference is made to 'Bretney' (Jurby) in the Tenants of the Bishops Barony 1580-7 (Appendix H) in the Manx Notebook and wonder if this also is connected with the family name?

Thanks for reading this blurb - hope it make some sense!