First found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

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More about the balks History...

Please remember that this page is only a small extract of our complete history that includes:

• Ancient origin of the name (usually pre-1100)
• Known spelling variations
• Early movement of the family name during the Middle Ages
• Noteworthy bearers from the 1500-1600s
• First settlers to North America
• Notable contemporary bearers of the name
• A description and/or full color picture of the Coat of Arms, Crest, and Motto (where available)

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them travelled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the Origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name balks or a variant listed above: John Balch, who arrived in Salem Massachusettes in 1620; Benjamin Balch, who sailed to Massachusettes in 1624 and John Balch, who arrived in Texas in 1836..

For more information on the last name balks, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.