Skarsbrock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Skarsbrock name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided at the village of Scarisbrick, near Ormskirk in Lancashire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old Norwegian Brekka meaning hillside or slope and the Old Danish personal name Skar. Therefore the original meaning of the surname Skarsbrock would be Skar who lived by the hillside.

Early Origins of the Skarsbrock family

The surname Skarsbrock was first found in Lancashire at Scarisbrick, a village and civil parish that dates back to c. 1200 when it was listed as Scharisbrac and possibly meant "hill-side or slope by a hollow." 1

"In the reign of Edward II. the manor appears to have been in the possession of a family of the local name, with whom it continued until conveyed, about the commencement of the present century, by the heiress of the Scarisbricks, to the Ecclestons, who assumed the name of Scarisbrick. " 2

Scarisbrick Hall is a country house located south-east of the village and was the ancestral home of the Scarisbrick family and dates back to the time of King Stephen (1135-1154.) The family has held the property since the 13th century, but was sold in 1946 to become a training college. "Scarisbrick Hall is said to have been erected in the 11th century: it was inhabited by the family in 1567; and was improved, and re-cased in stone, in 1814." 2

Early History of the Skarsbrock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Skarsbrock research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1508, 1637, 1679, 1839, 1874, 1909, 1929, 1933 and 1970 are included under the topic Early Skarsbrock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Skarsbrock 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 Skarsbrock include Scarisbrick, Scarasbrick, Scaresbrick and others.

Early Notables of the Skarsbrock family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Henry de Scarisbrick (died 1420), fought at the Battle of Agincourt; and Thomas Scarysbrig, Doctor of Divinity registered at the University of Oxford in 1508. William Scarisbrick (1637-1679), also known as John Plessington and William Pleasington was an English Catholic priest who was executed by the English Crown for violating the ban on the presence of Catholic priests...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Skarsbrock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Skarsbrock 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 Skarsbrock or a variant listed above: William Scarsbrick who settled in New England in 1625.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.