The ancestors of the Battreck family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the given name Patrick. It was largely as a result of the fame of the 5th century Romano British saint of this name that Patrick was such a popular given name in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Latin Patricus, meaning the son of a noble father, a member of the patrician class, and a member of the Roman hereditary aristocracy.
They claim descent from Patrick de la Lande who was from La Lande near Caen in Normandy. "William Patrick de la Lande is mentioned by Wace as the entertainer of Harold during his visit to Normandy, and as challenging him to combat at Hastings for breach of his oath." [1]
To better understand this quotation, the reader needs to know that Wace (c. 1110-1174) was a Norman poet, born in Jersey. His "Roman de Brut," was a verse history of Britain, based on the Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In many ways, Wace's works often referred to as Wace's poems, are the only accurate history of those times.
The surname Battreck was first found in Norfolk and Suffolk where King William granted a barony of fifteen fees shortly after the Norman Conquest to the aforementioned William Patrick. "William, his son, witnessed a charter of William I., to Savigny Abbey." [1]
Within one hundred years of the Conquest, branches of the family were found in northern England including the mention of Paganus de la Lande who held three fees in 1165 from the see of York.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Battreck research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1201, 1211, 1613, 1564, 1626, 1707, 1679, 1689, 1632, 1695, 1707, 1684 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Battreck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Patrick, Patryck, Partick and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Simon Patrich (d. 1613), English translator, matriculated as a pensioner at Peterhouse, Cambridge and was a member at Elizabeth's visitation in August 1564; and his grandson, Simon Patrick (1626-1707), was an English theologian and bishop...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Battreck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Battreck family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Battreck or a variant listed above: Henry Patrick who settled in Virginia in 1638; Leo Patrick settled in Virginia in 1646; Daniel Patrick and his wife settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630.