| ![Show Contents]() Corke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The notable Corke family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the Welsh personal name which occurred variously as Corc, Gouch, or Coch and is of uncertain origin. It is said to have been born by an early chieftain of the area. Early Origins of the Corke familyThe surname Corke was first found in Cornwall where they had been anciently seated from about the 11th century, some say even before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066. Although, on the surface, there seems to be an immediate connection with the city of Cork in southern Ireland, historians believe this to be an old Celtic surname descended from Corc, Gouch or Coch, a chieftain of some renown who lived prior to the 11th century and was probably Welsh. Early History of the Corke familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corke research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1580 is included under the topic Early Corke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Corke Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Cork, Corke, Corc, Corr, Coch, Gough and others. Early Notables of the Corke familyNotable amongst the family at this time was
 Corke migration to the United States | + |
An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Corke:
Corke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Jane Corke, who landed in Virginia in 1637 1
- Robert Corke, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 1
- David Corke, who landed in Virginia in 1660 1
- Ja Corke, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 1
Corke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Arthur Corke, who landed in America in 1765 1
| Corke migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Corke Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Samuel Corke (Cork), (b. 1815), aged 19, English Farm Labourer who was convicted in Kent, England for life for stealing sheep, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1880 2
- Mr. William Corke, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 3
- Mr. William Corke, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
| Corke migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Corke Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- George Corke, aged 51, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Celaeno" in 1872
- Matilda Corke, aged 20, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Celaeno" in 1872
- Emily Corke, aged 18, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Celaeno" in 1872
- George Corke, aged 13, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Celaeno" in 1872
| Contemporary Notables of the name Corke (post 1700) | + |
- Kevin Corke, American television news correspondent
- Hilary Corke, British writer, composer and mineralogist
- Anya Corke (b. 1990), Hong Kong chess grandmaster
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
|
Corke migration to the United States 
Corke migration to Australia 
Corke migration to New Zealand 
