O'Derrock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the O'Derrock family

Early History of the O'Derrock family

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

O'Derrock Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname O'Derrock were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. 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 O'Derrock 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 O'Derrock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Derrock family

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the O'Derrock family relocated to North American shores quite early: 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.