Chalker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Chalker is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was given to a person who was a whitewasher. Medieval buildings weren't painted, for paint was very expensive in the Middle Ages. Instead, they were whitewashed; covered in a paint-like emulsion of lime. It served to protect the houses against water, as well as look better. However, it didn't last very long; houses needed to be whitewashed at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. A "chalker" was a professional whitewasher; the name was originally derived from the Old English word cealcian, which meant "to whiten."
Early Origins of the Chalker family
The surname Chalker was first found in Kent, where one of the first records of the name was Robert Calchier who was listed in the Staffordshire Pipe Rolls 1195-1215. A few years later Thomas le Chalker was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum in 1275 and Thomas le Calkere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 1
Early History of the Chalker family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chalker research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1624 is included under the topic Early Chalker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Chalker 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 Chalker family name include Chalk, Chaulk, Chaulke, Chaulkey, Chalke, Chalker, Chalkley, Caulk and many more.
Early Notables of the Chalker family
More information is included under the topic Early Chalker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Chalker Ranking
In the United States, the name Chalker is the 12,873rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Chalker migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Chalker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. George Chalker, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 3
- Job Chalker, aged 39, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Navarino" 4
- William Chalker, aged 38, a smith, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Emigrant" 5
Chalker 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:
Chalker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- James George Chalker, aged 20, a blacksmith, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jessie Osborne" in 1867
Contemporary Notables of the name Chalker (post 1700) +
- Jack Laurence Chalker (1944-2005), American science fiction author
- Rutherford S. Chalker, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Haddam, 1926 6
- Robert P. Chalker, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Birmingham, 1943 6
- Jabez Chalker, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Durham, 1827 6
- Jack Bridger Chalker (1918-2014), English war artist, best known for his work recording the lives of prisoners of war in World War II
- Will Chalker (b. 1980), English model and an amateur boxer
- Lynda Chalker Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, PC (b. 1942), British Conservative politician, Minister of State for Overseas Development at the Foreign Office (1989 to 1997)
- Sir John Chalker Crosbie (1876-1932), Newfoundland merchant and politician, Prime Minister of Newfoundland (1917-1918)
Historic Events for the Chalker family +
HMS Royal Oak
- Arthur Chalker, British Steward with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 7
Citations +