Derack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Derack family

Early History of the Derack family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Derack research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1578, 1601, 1608 and 1656 are included under the topic Early Derack History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Derack Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Derack can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Derig, O'Derig, O'Derrig, Derrig, Derieg, Derick, Derrick, O'Derick, O'Derrick, O'Durrig, Durrig, Derigan, Derigen and many more.

Early Notables of the Derack family

Notable among the family name at this time was Donogh Dáll Ó Derrig, aka Blind Donogh O'Derrick, Irish rapparee, executed December 1656.Thomas Derrick (fl. 1608) was an English executioner. Little is known of his lineage. However, he was convicted of rape, and was subequently pardoned if he became the executioner at Tyburn. Derrick executed more than 3,000 people in his career, including his pardoner, the Earl of Essex, in 1601. The...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Derack Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Derack family

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Derack name: John Derick, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1865; Edward Derigan, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1875; the Widow Derrick, who settled in Georgia in 1738 with two sons and two daughters.