Charnocke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The lineage of the name Charnocke begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Charnock. It was established there in a pair of townships in Standish in the county of Lancashire. This surname is derived from the Old English Charnok which means one who lives beside the pile of stones. Often times this pile of stones served a primitive marker to establish borders for villages or counties. 1

However, another source claims the name was originally Norman having "derived from the town of Chernoc, in Normandy." 2

Early Origins of the Charnocke family

The surname Charnocke was first found in Lancashire at Charnock, Heath, a township, in the district chapelry of Adlington, parish of Standish, union of Chorley, hundred of Leyland. Charnock-Richard is a nearby township, in the district chapelry of Coppull, parish of Standish, union of Chorley "This place was held in moieties by the Charnocks and Banasters. " 3

"The Charnocks, who have their present home in the Ormskirk district, take their name from Lancashire townships. Roger de Chernock was mayor of Liverpool in 1437." 4

Early History of the Charnocke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Charnocke research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1525, 1526, 1581, 1587, 1588, 1614, 1624, 1628, 1630, 1645, 1648, 1656, 1663, 1670, 1680, 1690, 1693, 1696 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Charnocke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charnocke Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Charnocke has undergone many spelling variations, including Chernock, Charnock, Chernick, Chernocke and many more.

Early Notables of the Charnocke family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Charnock (c.1526-1581), an English alchemist and occultist who devoted his life to the quest for the Philosopher's Stone. Born in the Isle of Thanet, Kent, in 1524 or 1525, he travelled "all over England in quest of knowledge, he fixed his residence at Oxford, and there fell in with a noted chemist named. " 5 Roger Charnock (1588-1645), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Newton in 1614; Thomas Charnock (1587-1648), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Newton in 1624; and Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), was an English Puritan Presbyterian clergyman. 5 Job...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Charnocke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Charnocke migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Charnocke were among those contributors:

Charnocke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Charnocke, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 6

The Charnocke 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: Soyez content
Motto Translation: Be happy

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)