Pilkingt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Pilkingt family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Pilkington, a manor in the parish of Prestwick, Lancashire. There seems to be two early distinct entries of the various derivations of the name: William Pylk who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1303; Peter Pylke who was listed in the Sussex Rolls of 1332 and from these an early Old English entry of Pileca which while being unrecorded was nevertheless found in Pilkington Lancashire. The other distinct origin included Alexander de Pilkington de Pilkington in 1205; and John Pylkyngton in 1470. Both origins point to the aforementioned town in Lancashire. 1

Early Origins of the Pilkingt family

The surname Pilkingt was first found in Lancashire at Pilkington, a township in the parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, hundred of Salford. This distinguished Saxon family held a family seat in Lancashire since before the Norman invasion, traditionally escaping after the Battle of Hastings by posing as a thresher and hiding in a barn under hay and the flail hit first on one side and then the other, hence their motto 'Now thus, now thus' and the Family Crest of a mower." 2

However, Shirley presumes that "the more probable scene of this event, where four knights of the family were in arms on the part of Richard III [at the Battle of Bosworth.]" Shirley continues, "A right ancient family, gentlemen of repute in the county before the Conquest." 3

Another source phrases the early family history similarly: "A branch of the Pilkington family early became the principal proprietors, and few families in the county are more closely interwoven with its history than the members of this knightly house. The battle of Bosworth-Field proved almost as fatal to the fortunes of the parent stock of the Pilkingtons, as to the power of the royal tyrant Richard: and in the grant made by Henry VII. under the great seal, to Thomas, Earl of Derby, of divers manors and lands in Lancashire, forfeited by Sir Thomas Pilkington, was this manor. " 4

The ecclesiastical district of Stand in Lancashire was home to another ancient branch of the family. "An old Hall of the Pilkington family, generally known as Stand Hall, whence the place derived its name, existed so recently as 1845, when it was taken down: on the foundation stone was the date 1518. This structure was erected by the Earl of Derby, to whom the manor of Pilkington had been granted by Henry VII. after the battle of BosworthField; and the building is traditionally reported to have been five stories high, but reduced many years ago to its late elevation of three stories, the highest of the three being elaborately ornamented by the crests of the earls of Derby, the eagle and child, and the legs of Man." 4

Gilbert Pilkington (fl. 1350) was the reputed author of 'The Tournament of Tottenham,' a burlesque in verse. He is thought to have also written 'The Feest' the perhaps 'The Story of Robin Hood and Little John.' 5

Early History of the Pilkingt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pilkingt research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1527, 1561, 1562, 1564, 1565, 1568, 1576, 1599, 1631, 1638 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Pilkingt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pilkingt Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Pilkingt include Pilkington, Pilkinton and others.

Early Notables of the Pilkingt family

Distinguished members of the family include

James Pilkington (1520-1576), Bishop of Durham from 1561 until 1576; Leonard Pilkington (1527-1599) was an English academic and clergyman, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge (1561-1562), Master...
Richard Pilkington (1568-1631) was a Protestant Controversialist and was probably a nephew of James Pilkington, Bishop of Durham. Sir Thomas Pilkington (died 1691), was Lord Mayor of London, son of Th...

Migration of the Pilkingt family to Ireland

Some of the Pilkingt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pilkingt family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Pilkingt or a variant listed above: William Pilkington, who settled in Virginia in 1620; Margaret Pilkington and her husband, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Ashton Pilkerton, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1860.

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print