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![Show Contents]() Picket History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Picket family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the Old English given name Picot or Pigot. The surname Picket was originally derived from the Old English word pic, meaning a hill with a sharp point at its top, and would originally have indicated that its bearer lived near such a landmark. "Picot was a personal name is clear, for Picot, a chief tenant in Hampshire, and Picot de Grentebrig', both occur in Domesday [Book]. It is curious, too, to observe that two families in Cheshire, the Pigots and Pichots, ran side by side for some generations, and Dr. Ormerod long ago surmised that both sprang from one common ancestor - Gilbert Pichot, Lord of Broxton." 1 Another source notes that "the name of Pickett may be a corruption of Pickard, though we must remember that there is an estate of this name in the parish of South Perrott, Dorset." 2 Early Origins of the Picket familyThe surname Picket was first found in Cheshire and Cambridgeshire where Picot of Cambridge (c.1022-1090), born in Saye, Normandy, was a Norman landowner and rose to become Sheriff of Cambridgeshire (c. 1071-1090.) His son Robert, became implicated in a conspiracy against King Henry I, fled the country and the family estates were forfeit. 3 "Pygot occurs in Leland's supposed copy of the Roll of Battle Abbey." 4 The Lincolnshire Survey listed Picotus de Laceles, temp. 1109 and later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Picot de Flexbergh, Wiltshire; Elis Pyket, Buckinghamshire; and Walter Pycot, Cambridgeshire. 1 Another reference claims "the family originally came from Cheshire; William Pigott of Butley in the parish of Prestbury in that county, who died in 1376, was grandfather of Richard Pigott of Butley who married the heiress of Peshall." 5 Early History of the Picket familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Picket research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1109, 1210, 1333, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1657, 1686, 1697, 1713, 1716, 1719, 1720, 1734, 1777 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Picket History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Picket Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Pigott, Piggot, Piggett, Piggott, Piggot, Pigot, Picot and many more. Early Notables of the Picket familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Pigot (Pigott, Piggott) (1657-1686), an English cleric, academic and Fellow of the Royal Society; George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot (1719-1777), former...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Picket Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Picket family to Ireland
Some of the Picket family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Picket migration to the United States | + |
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Picket or a variant listed above:
Picket Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William Picket, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
- Mark Picket, who arrived in New London, Connecticut in 1816 6
- E W Picket, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
- S A Picket, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 6
| Picket migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Picket Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- John Picket, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
- Lewis Picket, who landed in New Brunswick in 1783
- David Picket, who landed in New Brunswick in 1783
- James Picket, who landed in New Brunswick in 1783
- Mr. David Picket Sr., U.E. from Stamford, Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 passenger aboard the Union Transport, he was a Farmer 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Picket (post 1700) | + |
- Justus B. Picket, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from St. Lawrence County 2nd District, 1849
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: Tout foys prest
Motto Translation: Always ready.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
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Picket migration to the United States 
Picket migration to Canada 
England
Ireland
