Elcock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The history of the Elcock name began with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the pet form of the name Allicock. Alternatively, the name could have derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Allen.' 1

Early Origins of the Elcock family

The surname Elcock was first found in Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alcok de Stonys and John Alcoc, respectively.

The Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 had listings with a variety of early spellings: Johannes Alcokson; Alcocus de Stublay; and Willelmus Alcok. 1

Over in Norfolk, Henry Alycock was Rector of Colney in 1481 and the same source notes "in 1493, Thomas Alicok gave 10 marks to buy a cope." 2

Scotland has some early records of the name too as William Alkok was listed as a witness in Aberdeen in 1281. 3

Early History of the Elcock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elcock research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1399, 1430, 1449, 1461, 1472, 1473, 1486, 1500, 1715, 1738, 1742 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Elcock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elcock 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 Elcock family name include Alcoc, Alecock, Alecocke, Allcock, Allcoke, Allcok, Allcoe and many more.

Early Notables of the Elcock family

Notables of the family at this time include John Alcock (c. 1430-1500), an English churchman, Master of the Rolls in 1461, Bishop of Rochester in 1472, 1st President of the Council of the Marches in Wales (1473 to 1500.) 4John Alcock, born at London, April 11, 1715, "became at seven years of age a chorister of St. Paul's...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elcock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elcock family to Ireland

Some of the Elcock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elcock migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, 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 Elcock surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Elcock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Aron Elcock, who landed in Virginia in 1649 5
John Elcock, who landed in Virginia in 1651 5
John Elcock, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 5

Elcock Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Serjant Elcock, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 5

The Elcock 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: Vigilate
Motto Translation: Watch

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)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)