Alecock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The history of the name Alecock begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the pet form of the name Allicock. Alternatively, the name could have derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Allen.' 1

Early Origins of the Alecock family

The surname Alecock was first found in Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alcok de Stonys and John Alcoc, respectively.

The Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 had listings with a variety of early spellings: Johannes Alcokson; Alcocus de Stublay; and Willelmus Alcok. 1

Over in Norfolk, Henry Alycock was Rector of Colney in 1481 and the same source notes "in 1493, Thomas Alicok gave 10 marks to buy a cope." 2

Scotland has some early records of the name too as William Alkok was listed as a witness in Aberdeen in 1281. 3

Early History of the Alecock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alecock research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1399, 1430, 1449, 1461, 1472, 1473, 1486, 1500, 1558, 1563, 1715, 1738, 1742 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Alecock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alecock Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Alecock has been recorded under many different variations, including Alcoc, Alecock, Alecocke, Allcock, Allcoke, Allcok, Allcoe and many more.

Early Notables of the Alecock family

Notables of the family at this time include John Alcock (c. 1430-1500), an English churchman, Master of the Rolls in 1461, Bishop of Rochester in 1472, 1st President of the Council of the Marches in Wales (1473 to 1500.) 4Thomas Alcock (died 1563) was an English traveller and adventurer and an agent of the Muscovy Company from 1558 to 1563. 4John Alcock, born at London, April 11, 1715, "became...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alecock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Alecock family to Ireland

Some of the Alecock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alecock migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Alecock or a variant listed above:

Alecock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Annis Alecock, aged 18, British settler who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Abigial" 5

The Alecock Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vigilate
Motto Translation: Watch

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)