The surname Occelshaw was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat in Ockilshaw, near Wigan in that shire. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1401 when John Okylschagh held estates outside Wigan. The name is frequently confused with the name Occleston, in the parish of Middlewich in Cheshire but so far is know there is no connection between the two names.
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Early History of the Occelshaw family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Occelshaw research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487 and 1651 are included under the topic Early Occelshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Occelshaw Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Occelshaw include Ockleshaw, Ockilshaw, Occilshaw, Occelshaw, Occleshaw, Ockleshaw, Ogleshaw and many more.
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Early Notables of the Occelshaw family
More information is included under the topic Early Occelshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Occelshaw family
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 Occelshaw or a variant listed above: Mary Ockleford, a bonded passenger, who came to Maryland in 1760.
England
