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Simcock History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Simcock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The illustrious surname Simcock finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Simcock is a local type of surname and the Simcock family lived in the village of Simcoe in the county of Cornwall.

Early Origins of the Simcock family

The surname Simcock was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Simcock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Simcock research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1609, 1631, 1645 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Simcock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Simcock Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Simcoe, Simco, Simcock, Simcox and others.

Early Notables of the Simcock family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

John Simcocks (1609-1695), English Jesuit, born in London in 1609...
1645 was professed of the four vows under the name of John Simcocks...

Simcock migration to the United States +

An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Simcock:

Simcock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Simcock, who settled in Delaware in 1682 with his two sons
George Simcock, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 1

Simcock Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Lucy Simcock, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 1

Simcock Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Simcock, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1812 1

Simcock migration to Australia +

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

Simcock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Simcock who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
Mr. Charles Simcock, British Convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Edward Simcock, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 4
Miss Elizabeth Simcock, (b. 1824), aged 33, Cornish cook departing from Plymouth on 29th December 1856 aboard the ship "Mount Stuart Elphinstone" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 10th April 1857 5

Simcock 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:

Simcock Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Simcock, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoenix" in 1860

Contemporary Notables of the name Simcock (post 1700) +

Susan Mary Simcock ONZM (1938-2020), New Zealand sports administrator, President of the World Squash Federation from 1996 to 2002
Amy Simcock (b. 1978), birth name of Amy Phillips, British actress, best known for her role as Jessica Arnold in the BBC school drama, Grange Hill
Gwilym Simcock (b. 1981), British pianist and composer, selected as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the Evening Standard
Jack Simcock (1929-2012), British painter who studied at Burslem School of Art
Robert "Bob" Simcock (b. 1947), New Zealand politician, 33rd Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand (2007-2010), Member of the New Zealand Parliament for National party list (1999-2002) Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton West (1996-1999)
Canon Simcock of Truro Cathedral,

The Simcock Motto +

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: Non sibi sed patriae
Motto Translation: For his country, not for himself.

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE - 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Constance.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf