Plaskett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished name Plaskett is derived from the Old French word "plasquet," meaning "dweller by the swampy meadow." 1 2

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a geographical locality as in ' Plaskets,' a township in the parish of Falstone, Northumberland. 3

Early Origins of the Plaskett family

The surname Plaskett was first found in Northumberland at Plaskets, which in early days was also known as Plawsketts and Plashetts. 2

A very rare surname, the first record of the family appeared rather late, that of John Plaskett, a Freeman of York in 1570. 1

Early History of the Plaskett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plaskett research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1683, 1761, 1782, 1783, 1809, 1811 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Plaskett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plaskett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Plasket, Plaskett, Plaskit, Plaskitt and others.

Early Notables of the Plaskett family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Richard Plasket or Plaskett, KCMG (1782-1847), the fifth Civil Auditor General for Ceylon. He was appointed on 14 June 1809, succeeding Samuel Tolfrey, and held the office until 30 January 1811

Plaskett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Plaskett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Plaskett, who landed in New York in 1837 4

Plaskett migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Plaskett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Henry Plaskett, aged 21, a porter, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" 5
W.H. Plaskett, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 5
Joseph Plaskett, aged 21, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 6
Joseph Plaskett, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Sultana" 6

Plaskett migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Plaskett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Dinah J Plaskett, (b. 1846), aged 18, British dairymaid travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Plaskett (post 1700) +

Elmo Alexander Plaskett (1938-1998), American Major League Baseball player who played 17 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1963)
Joel Plaskett (b. 1975), born William Joel MacDonald Plaskett, Canadian rock musician and songwriter from Nova Scotia
James Plaskett (b. 1960), British chess Grandmaster, awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1985
Joseph "Joe" Plaskett (b. 1918), Canadian painter who studied with many of the Group of Seven
John Stanley Plaskett CBE (1865-1941), Canadian astronomer, first director of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, British Columbia in 1917, awarded Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1930), Rumford Prize (1930), Bruce Medal (1932) and Henry Draper Medal from the National Academy of Sciences (1934), father of Harry Hemley Plaskett
H James Plaskett (b. 1960), British Chess Champion in 1990, awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1985
Harry Hemley Plaskett (1893-1980), Canadian astronomer, known for his work in solar physics, astronomical spectroscopy and spectrophotometry, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Sultana.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html