Corkett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Family Crest Image (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

The name Corkett is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in Caldecot, which was the name of parishes found in Peterborough and Worcestershire. The name was originally derived from the Old English word ceald-cote and literally meant the dweller at the cold-huts. ^[1]

Early Origins of the Corkett family

The surname Corkett was first found in various places named Caldecote or Caldecott throughout Britain including Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire.

No fewer than five of them are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Caldecote, Cambridgeshire; Caldecota, Hertfordshire; Caldecote, Warwickshire; Caldecote, Leicestershire; and Caldecote, Northamptonshire. Williamscott or Willscott in Oxfordshire was home to the family too.

"Walter Calcott, in 1575, endowed a free school here with £13 per annum payable out of his manor of Williamscott, for 40 boys chosen by lot from the villages around." ^[2] The hamlet was also made famous as the site that Charles I. slept a night or two prior to the battle of Cropredy-Bridge.

Early History of the Corkett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corkett research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1304, 1320, 1779 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Corkett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corkett Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Corkett were recorded, including Caldecot, Caldecott, Caldecotte and others.

Early Notables of the Corkett family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Corkett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corkett migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Corkett family emigrate to North America:

Corkett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Corkett, who landed in Virginia in 1650 ^[3]

Corkett migration to Australia +

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

Corkett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Julia Corkett, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Telegraph"

Corkett 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:

Corkett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Isaac Corkett, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1855

The Corkett 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: In utrumque paratus
Motto Translation: Prepared for both.

Citations +

^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
^ 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)