Clackson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The earliest origins of the name Clackson date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the popular family name Clark, and means the son of Clark. The surname also has an occupational origin and was likely derived from the trade or profession of the original bearer. In this case the surname denotes that the bearer was a clerical worker or a clergyman who was employed in religious institutions to write books from old documents. The bearers of this surname were handed high status in the community because of their ability to read and write. One must remember that during the Middle Ages most of the population was quite illiterate by today's standards.

Early Origins of the Clackson family

The surname Clackson was first found in Yorkshire where it is "a well-known Yorkshire surname, which has spread over the North of England." 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes Clerke and Thomas Clerkson, father and son; Ricardus Clerkson; Wilielmus Klereson; and Alicia Clerkson. 1

By the early 15th century, the name appeared in Scotland. "Thomas Clerkson de Aldane was a forestaller in Aberdeen in 1402. Simon Clerici (Latin) witnessed an instrument of resignation in Brechin in 1434, and a booth was set to Besse Clerkson in Lanark in 1488." 2

Early History of the Clackson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clackson research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1500, 1501, 1504, 1513, 1531, 1567, 1615, 1622, 1649, 1667, 1685, 1686, 1697, 1716, 1721 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Clackson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clackson Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Clackson include Clarkson, Clarksone, Clerkson and others.

Early Notables of the Clackson family

Notables of the family at this time include Agnes Clarkson who in the 'Test' in lowland Scotland refused to acknowledge the King or his church and was hanged for Witchcraft.David Clarkson (1622-1686), was an ejected minister, son of Robert Clarkson, was born at Bradford...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clackson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Clackson family to Ireland

Some of the Clackson 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.

Clackson migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clackson or a variant listed above:

Clackson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Clackson, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 3

Historic Events for the Clackson family +

HMS Royal Oak

Ronald George Clackson (d. 1939), British Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html