1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Corneille Corneille emmantelée, the Roiston Crow, or winter Crow, whose backe, and bellie are of an ashie colour.

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 160 Crowes of mingled colour, such as wee call Royston Crowes.

a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) ii. vii. 201 The Royston Crow and the Cornish Daw, though they have accidental differences from those among us, seem yet to be of the same kind with ours.

1734 E. Albin Nat. Hist. Birds II. 22 The Royston Crow..; on the Heathes about Newmarket, Royston, and elsewhere in Cambridgeshire it is frequently seen in Winter Time.

1771 G. White Let. 12 Feb. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 141 Royston, or grey crows, are winter birds that come much about the same time with the woodcock.

?1841 Hist. Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 1 No. 9. 253 The royston or grey-backed crow (Corvus cornix).

1880 S. Baring-Gould Mehalah I. i. 3 At all times they are haunted with sea mews and roysten crows.

1950 A. W. Boyd Coward's Birds Brit. Isles (rev. ed.) 1st Ser. 29 The Hooded Crow or Hoodie.., also called the Grey, Royston or Norway Crow, is..similar in structure to the Carrion.

2007 R. Lovegrove Silent Fields iv. 158 The Hooded Crow was at one time a numerous winter visitor... Its former status was signified by such alternative names as ‘Norway Crow’, ‘Winter Crow’, ‘Danishman’, or ‘Royston Crow’.