Show ContentsSlocombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The lineage of the name Slocombe begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Slocombe found on the Isle of Wight and in the county of Devon. The surname Slocombe was originally derived from the Old English word Slahcumb which means dweller in the valley.

Early Origins of the Slocombe family

The surname Slocombe was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Slocombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slocombe research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1630 is included under the topic Early Slocombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slocombe Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Slocombe has undergone many spelling variations, including Slocum, Slowcombe, Slocombe, Slocum, Slocumb and others.

Early Notables of the Slocombe family

More information is included under the topic Early Slocombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Slocombe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Slocombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Slocombe, (b. 1810), aged 24, British Farm Labourer who was convicted in Kent, England for life for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia [1]
  • Mr. Thomas Slocombe who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [2]
  • James Slocombe (aged 21) arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
  • Mr. James Slocombe, (b. 1835), aged 21, English miner from Devon, England, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 [3]

New Zealand Slocombe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Slocombe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Slocombe, (b. 1857), aged 22, Cornish agricultural labourer departing on 25th April 1879 aboard the ship "Orari" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th July 1879 [4]
  • James Slocombe, aged 24, a bootmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ionic" in 1884
  • Mr. James Slocombe, (b. 1860), aged 24, Cornish bootmaker departing on 29th January 1884 aboard the ship "Ionic" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th March 1884 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Slocombe (post 1700) +

  • Walter Becker Slocombe (b. 1941), American Rhodes Scholar and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (1994-2001)
  • Michael Slocombe (1941-2022), English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the English Football League for Bristol Rovers
  • Douglas Slocombe OBE, BSC, ASC (1913-2016), British three-time Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominated cinematographer, perhaps best known for his work on the three Indiana Jones movies starring Harrison Ford

RMS Titanic
  • Mrs. Maude Louise Slocombe, aged 30, English Turkish Bath Stewardess from London, England who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in a life boat [5]


  1. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  3. The Ships List Passenger Lists Ship Aliquis (Retrieved 26th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aliquis1856.shtml
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  5. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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