Holk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Scotland

Early Origins of the Holk family

Early History of the Holk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holk research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1524, 1553, 1593, 1600, 1601, 1719, 1740, 1745, 1746, 1769, 1770, 1777, 1786, 1800, 1822 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Holk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holk Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Holk are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Holk include: Holker, Hoker, Holk and others.

Early Notables of the Holk family

Distinguished members of the family include

• John Holker (1719-1786), Jacobite, son of John Holker of Stretford, Manchester, by Alice, daughter of John Morris...
• Young Holker sold his patrimony in order to erect a cotton-mill, and spent two years at Manchester to acquire the necessary knowledge...
• Brought up an ardent catholic and Jacobite, Holker was with difficulty dissuaded by his wife from joining the Young Pretender in Scotland in 1745...
• When the prince entered Manchester, Holker joined his forces with the rank of lieutenant, and was captured with the other Manchester volunteers at Carlisle...
• His only son, John Holker (1745-1822), was in 1769 appointed deputy-inspector, went to England to study Hargreaves's and Arkwright's processes, and in 1777 was sent by the French government to America...
• Their son, Jean Louis Holker (1770-1844), discovered the method of continuous combustion in the vitriol manufacture, which he carried on, first at Rouen and afterwards at or near Paris...

Migration of the Holk family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Holk or a variant listed above: John Holker, a diplomat for the government of France, who settled in Springburg, Virginia during the American Revolution. Among the other family members to migrate to North America were: George Hoke, who sailed to Pennsylvania in 1765.