Show ContentsTailmack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Tailmack goes back those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain. Such a name was given to a person who habitually wore a knapsack or other type of pack carried on the back. The surname Tailmack is derived from the Old French word talemache, which means knapsack. Nickname surnames often referred to the bearer's favored style of clothing.

Alternatively, this Norman name could have literally meant "totting of the bell." 1

Early Origins of the Tailmack family

The surname Tailmack was first found in Suffolk where, according to Doctor Bosworth, they were amongst the first Angles that settled in Suffolk. On their manor house at Bentley, near Ipswich there was the following inscription "Before the Normans into England came, Bentley was my seat, and Tollemache was my name." 2 3

Early History of the Tailmack family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tailmack research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1611, 1624, 1651, 1669, 1694 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Tailmack History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tailmack Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Tailmack family name include Talmach, Talmage, Talmash, Tammadge, Tammage, Tallemach, Tollemache, Tolmage and many more.

Early Notables of the Tailmack family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Lionel Tollemache (1624-1669), 3rd Baronet of Helmingham was the head of a powerful East Anglian family whose seat was...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tailmack Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tailmack family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Tailmack or a variant listed above: William Tallmarsh settled in Jamaica in 1722; William Talmadge settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630 with his wife; Thomas Talmadge settled in Salem, Massachusetts with his wife in 1630.



The Tailmack Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Confido conquiesco
Motto Translation: I trust and am contented.


  1. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.


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