Show ContentsPickrem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Pickrem belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the parish of Pickering found in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Pickrem is a habitation name that was originally derived from the pre-existing name for a parish. It was originally derived from the Old English word Picora which referred to those individuals who lived at the edge of a hill.

Early Origins of the Pickrem family

The surname Pickrem was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Pickering, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in Pickering lythe. "The origin of this place is said to be very remote, being dated by tradition 270 years before the commencement of the Christian era, and ascribed to Peridurus, a British king, who was interred here, on the brow of a hill called Rawcliff. According to local tradition, also, its name is derived from the circumstance of a ring having been lost by the founder whilst washing in the river Costa, and subsequently found in the belly of a pike." 1

Some of the earliest records of the family were Sir James Pickering (fl. 1383), Speaker of the House of Commons, was son of Sir John Pickering of Killington, Westmorland. The family had been established at Killington since 1260. Thomas Pickering (died 1475) was an early English genealogist and was presumably a native of Pickering, Yorkshire. 2

Early History of the Pickrem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pickrem research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1592, 1596, 1611, 1613, 1618, 1637, 1654, 1668 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Pickrem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickrem Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Pickrem include Puckering, Pickering, Pykering, Pikering and others.

Early Notables of the Pickrem family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Puckering (1544-1596), an English lawyer, politician, Speaker of the English House of Commons, and Lord Keeper from 1592 until his death; Sir Gilbert Pickering, 1st Baronet (1611-1668), a regicide, a member of the English Council of State during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, and a member of Cromwell's Upper House; Sir Henry Pickering, 1st Baronet (1613-1668), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pickrem Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pickrem family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Pickrem were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: George Pickering who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; along with John; John Pickering settled in Virginia in 1653; Samuel Pickering settled in Nova Scotia in 1774.


Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Pickrem, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 3
  • Mr. William  Pickrem, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 3
  • Mr. Roy  Pickrem (1900-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 3
  • Child Pickrem, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 3
  • Child Pickrem, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 3


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance


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