Keepcks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Keepcks comes from when the family resided in the village of Kippax, a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This parish, in the Domesday Survey Chepesch, is situated near the river Aire, and comprises by computation 4000 acres: the soil is a light mould, resting on limestone, and the scenery is picturesque." 1

Early Origins of the Keepcks family

The surname Keepcks was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kippax, a large and important Norman village. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 2 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, Kippax, at the taking of the Domesday Book was held by Ilbert de Lacy, a Norman Baron, who was at the Battle of Hastings. and who was granted 150 lordships in Yorkshire in addition to the whole district known then as Blackburnshire in now Lancashire. His holdings included Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire. Conjecturally, the Kippax family surname descends from a relation of this Baron who held Kippax at that time.

Early rolls gave a glimpse of the many spellings used by the family at that time. The Pipe Rolls of 1190 included an entry for Alan de Kipais and later the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire included Richard de Kippax in 1347. Back in Yorkshire, John Kypas was listed there in 1441. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1370 listed Adam Kypas; Johannes de Kypax; Johanna Kepas; and Johannes de Kepax as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Keepcks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keepcks research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1356, 1364, 1367, 1370, 1372, 1373, 1375, 1379, 1382, 1404, 1653 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Keepcks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keepcks Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Keepcks include Kippax, Keepax, Kipax, Kepax, Kipas, Kypas, Kyppax, Kypax, Kipacks, Kepax, Kippacks, Cuppage, Cupage, Kippage, Kippash, Cuppash, Coppash, Cupacks and many more.

Early Notables of the Keepcks family

Distinguished members of the family include John Keppock (died 1404), Irish judge who held the offices of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, in England in 1352, acted as counsel for the powerful Anglo-Irish Cusack family, became King's Serjeant (1356), became Lord Chief Baron (1364) and Lord Chief Justice (13670, In 1370 he stood down as Lord Chief Justice but remained...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keepcks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Keepcks family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Peter Kippax settled in Virginia in 1699.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)