Distribution within UK

Cheshire vs. The Rest?

In the Origins section of this website the case is made for the CHRIMES name originating in the County of Cheshire, UK. No surprise then that in the early centuries of the name's existence the majority of CHRIMESs were in Cheshire. Of the 13 branches currently charted in Data, 10 are located mainly in present-day Cheshire and as they include the branch called "Norley", which is by far the largest, this dominance of Cheshire is confirmed.

But if Cheshire was so important, why are there 3 branches which are not in Cheshire? There are perhaps two possible reasons for this:

• The other branches are related to the CHRIMESs of Cheshire, but the links have not yet been found.
• The other branches represent separate origins of the name CHRIMES

Unfortunately the choice is not simply between these two options, because, as described in Origins, many people called CRIMES changed their name to CHRIMES, so we have a further two options:

• The other branches are related to the CRIMESs of Cheshire, but the links have not yet been found.
• The other branches represent separate origins of the name CRIMES

This supposition is not what we want. We want hard facts, but the only way to achieve a better understanding of the origin and distribution of the name CHRIMES is to carry out an equally detailed analysis of the name CRIMES. This author has ongoing research in this area, but it is far from complete.

How far from Weaverham, Cheshire?

To help readers not expert at UK geography, here are the Cheshire branches (see Data) with their distance in miles from Weaverham:

Crowton	2
Great Budworth	6
Halton	10
Norley	4
Tarvin	10
Weaverham	0

We can bunch the other branches into Counties, again with an approximate distance from Weaverham:

Branch	County
Shropshire	Shropshire	40
Staffordshire	Staffordshire	70
Sheffield	Yorkshire	65
Warrington	Lancashire	10

Warrington merits a special note, as it was only just over the county border between Cheshire and Lancashire, and indeed since 1974 it has been within the County of Cheshire. This website lists Warrington as within Lancashire, because during the time to which most of the data relates, it was!

Readers in Australia, Canada or USA might consider all of these distances small, but to the inhabitants of the small islands of UK, especially in the days before easy long-distance travel, they were significant.

Where are they now?

Within the UK, the assertion that most CHRIMESs are in Cheshire is no longer valid. It might be thought that in these times of increased mobility where families move easily from one part of the country to another, that there might not be one area which could be singled out as a CHRIMES haven. There are however significant concentrations in Lancashire, especially in and around Rochdale. In the 10-year period 1996 to 2005 there were 59 CHRIMES births in the UK, with only 8 of them being in Cheshire, whereas the South Lancashire districts of Bolton, Bury and Rochdale (combined) had 17 births.