Weaks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Weaks reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Weaks family lived in Sussex. The name, however, derives from the Old English word wic, which describes someone who lives at an outlying settlement.

Early Origins of the Weaks family

The surname Weaks was first found in Surrey at Wyke, a tything, in the parish of Worplesdon, union of Guildford, First division of the hundred of Woking. "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of Wucha, and at an early period was held by a family called De Wyke." 1

Another branch of the family was found at Yatton in Somerset. "The greater portion of [the church of Yatton] appears to have been rebuilt in the 15th century, by the Wyck family, to one of whom is a monument bearing his effigy, in the north transept." 1

Thomas de Wykes (fl. 1258-1293), the English chronicler, took the habit of a canon regular at Osney Abbey, near Oxford, on 14 April 1282. "He mentions in his chronicle various namesakes and probable kinsfolk, including Robert de Wykes (d. 1246), Edith de Wyke (d. 1269), and John de Wykes, who in 1283 took a 'votum profectionis'. The name is a fairly common one, both as a personal and a place name, so that it is highly unsafe to identify him with other bearers of the same name, such as Thomas de Wyke, priest, who before 1249 wished to become a Franciscan friar." 2

Early History of the Weaks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weaks research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1222, 1293, 1430, 1554, 1593, 1621, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1641, 1643, 1683, 1684, 1699, 1703 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Weaks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weaks Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Weaks include Weekes, Weeks, Wikes, Wykes, Wyke, Wix, Wicks, Weykes and many more.

Early Notables of the Weaks family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Wykes (1222-c.1293), English chronicler, a canon regular of Oseney Abbey, near Oxford; Thomas Wykes (died c.1430), Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wykes (fl. 1554), of Moreton Jeffries, Herefordshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Leominster in November 1554; Richard Wyche (or Wiche) (1554-1621), a...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Weaks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Weaks family

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Weakss to arrive on North American shores: Edward Weeks settled in the Bay Bulls in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1708; John Weeks was a fisherman of Petty Harbour in Newfoundland in 1739; Anna, Marie and Joe Weekes settled in New England in 1635.

Contemporary Notables of the name Weaks (post 1700) +

Pinckney B. Weaks, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Shreveport, Louisiana, 1892-94 3
James C. Weaks, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1908 3
George G. Weaks, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1932 3

The Weaks 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: Cari Deo nihilo carent
Motto Translation: Those dear to God want nothing.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html