Chinnock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Chinnock is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Chinnock family once lived in an area that was defined by seven oak trees. Chinnock is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Chinnock were named due to their close proximity to the seven oakes.

Early Origins of the Chinnock family

The surname Chinnock was first found in Kent where they held a family seat at Seven-oaks, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Codsheath.

"This place, which in the Textus Roffensis is written Seovan Acca, is supposed to have derived its name from seven large oaks that stood upon the eminence on which the town is built. The free grammar school was founded and endowed in 1432, by Sir William Sevenoake, (1378?-1433?), usually written Sennocke, who, being deserted by his parents, was brought up by some charitable persons, and apprenticed to a grocer in London, from which station he rose to be lord mayor of that city, and its representative in parliament, leaving a portion of his wealth to found this school and an hospital for decayed elderly tradespeople. " 1

The variant Sinnock was "a corruption of Sevenoaks. " 2

Early History of the Chinnock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chinnock research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1418, 1641, 1648, 1666, 1677, 1719, 1740 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Chinnock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chinnock 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 Chinnock family name include Snook, Snooks, Snukes, Sevenoak, Sevenoaks, Sevenoke, Sevenokes, Sinnox, Sinnocks, Sennocke, Sennox, Sevenocke, Sevenockes, Snooke, Snouk, Snouks, Sinnicks, Shinnicks, Shinnocks, Chennix and many more.

Early Notables of the Chinnock family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chinnock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chinnock family to Ireland

Some of the Chinnock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chinnock migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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. Early immigrants bearing the Chinnock surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Chinnock Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. William Chinnock, (b. 1872), aged 33, Cornish locomotive engineer travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Globe, Arizona, USA 3

Chinnock migration to Australia +

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

Chinnock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Chinnock, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Omega" 4
Mr. William Chinnock, (b. 1835), aged 22, Cornish labourer departing from Plymouth on 29th July 1857 aboard the ship "Victory" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 4th November 1857 5
Mrs. Mary A. Chinnock, (b. 1839), aged 18, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 29th July 1857 aboard the ship "Victory" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 4th November 1857 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Chinnock (post 1700) +

James T. Chinnock, American Republican politician, Member of Oregon State Senate 7th District, 1935 ; Candidate in primary for justice of Oregon State Supreme Court, 1938 6

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OMEGA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/omega1852.shtml
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html