Major Joseph Croshaw (c. 1610-12–1667) was a planter living near Williamsburg in the Colony of Virginia. He was the son of Captain Raleigh Croshaw. He became a planter and lived a few miles from present-day Williamsburg, Virginia. On December 10, 1651, he patented land which became the plantation known as Poplar Neck: "1000 a. in York Co., upon the side of York River, commonly known by the name of Poplar Neck, abutting n. w. upon the mouth of St. Andrew's Creek" (later called Carter's Creek) "n. e. upon York River, s. e. upon a small creek called Croshaw's Desire dividing this land & the land now in possession of Richd. Croshaw into the woods, w. s. w. & by s. and s. w. along the Indian Field upon the land of Jas. Harris, w. by n. upon the land of Samuel Snead, n. w. by w. upon a line of marked trees leading along to St. Andrew's Creek." Poplar Neck subsequently came to be owned by Colonel John West through West's marriage to Croshaw's daughter Unity.

Family: Joseph Croshaw married five times and had eight children

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1. The name of the first wife (m 1631) (English wife's name was not recorded in Early VA History See: William & Mary Historical journal) A Richard Croshaw, previously believed to be his son, has since been disproved, as there are no supporting sources for him, and he had been confused and conflated with Joseph Croshaw's brother Richard Croshaw due to an erroneously transcribed York County court record.
2. Widow Finch
3. Mrs. Anne Hodges (d.1663), widow of Augustine Hodges
4. Mrs. Margaret Tucker (d.1664), widow of Daniel Tucker
5. Mrs. Mary Bromfield (d. bef. 28 May 1673), widow of Thomas Bromfield Joseph Croshaw is often, erroneously, connected to Elizabeth Yeardley, daughter of Governor Sir George Yeardley and Temperance Flowerdew. None of the scholarly books on either the Yeardley or the Croshaw families make this claim. Joseph Croshaw died on April 10, 1667, the same day his will was written and recorded in York County, Virginia. The inventory of his estate was substantial and included numerous household objects made of both pewter and silver. One large silver tankard was valued at four pounds sterling (equivalent to about £330 in 2017). The inventory of 1668 also listed the Croshaw estate as having 1000 bricks manufactured either by their own servants or by transient laborers.

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