Pancake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cornwall in southwestern England provides the original birthplace of the surname Pancake. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Pancake history began in Cornwall, in the parish of St. Pinnock. 1

"Although this parish has its name graced with the prefix of saint, no records were ever known to have preserved his history. The name is in general supposed to be secular, to be founded upon local circumstances, and to have no immediate reference either to its church or tutelary guardian. At a time when Cornwall teemed with saints both native and imported, it seemed dishonorable for any district to be without one. Where a real one could not be procured, an artificial one might easily be found to supply his place. But even this easy mode was still capable of improvement. The situation of St. Pinnock is in the deanery and hundred of West. It lies about eight miles east-north-east from Lostwithiel, and about four west-south-west from Liskeard." 2 3

Two sources claims the name could have been derived from the Middle English word "pinnock," meaning "hedge-sparrow." 4 5

Early Origins of the Pancake family

The surname Pancake was first found in the parish of St. Hilary, Cornwall where "the manor of Tregurtha or Truthwall, which extends from this into some of the neighbouring parishes, belonged to the family of Penneck at the commencement of the last century (1700's.)

By the devisees of this family, this manor was sold to William Carne, Esq. and the late Thomas Grylls, Esq.; and it is now the property of the former, and of the representatives of the latter. Tregembo belonged formerly to the family of Grosse, from whom it passed by successive sales to King and Penneck. It was purchased by the latter in the year 1684; after which it became the residence of this family. It is now occupied by the Rev. Humphrey Williams. From Charles Penneck, Esq. this property passed to his two sisters, one of whom was married to the Rev. William Borlase, of Castle Horneck, and the other to John Bingham Borlase, M. D." 2

Other early records of the family revealed Nicholas Pinnoch in the Pipe Rolls for Wiltshire in 1199 and Walter Pinnok in the Hundredorum Rolls for 1225, again in Wiltshire. 4

Another source notes the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also included William Pinnoc in Oxfordshire. 3 In Somerset, early records there show Roger Pynnock, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III. 6

Early History of the Pancake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pancake research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1782, 1810, 1811, 1813, 1817, 1843, 1850, 1855, 1859, 1870, 1876, 1879 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Pancake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pancake Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pinnock, Pincock, Pinnick, Pinock, Pinoke and others.

Early Notables of the Pancake family

Notable amongst the family at this time was William Pinnock (1782-1843), publisher and educational writer, baptised at Alton, Hampshire, on 3 Feb. 1782, was son of John and Sarah Pinnock, who were in humble circumstances. He began life as a schoolmaster at Alton. He next became a bookseller there, and wrote and issued in 1810-11 ‘The Leisure Hour: a pleasing Pastime consisting of interesting and improving Subjects,’ with explanatory notes, and ‘The Universal Explanatory Spelling Book,’ with a key and exercises. About 1811 he removed his business to Newbury. In 1817 he came to London, and, together with Samuel Maunder, bought...
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pancake Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pancake migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Pancake:

Pancake Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Pancake, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 7

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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)